


A World Without Entrance or Exit

by WindyWordz



Category: Attack on Titan, Final Fantasy VII, Kingdom Hearts, Shingeki no Kyojin
Genre: Abuse, Angst, Armin - Freeform, Bullying, Eren - Freeform, Erwin - Freeform, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Implied Levi/Eren Yeager, Implied Marco Bott/Jean Kirstein, Implied Smut, Implied Sora/Riku, Jean - Freeform, Levi - Freeform, M/M, Marco - Freeform, Mikasa - Freeform, Multi, Riku - Freeform, Smut, Sora - Freeform, Titans, Violence, attack on titan - Freeform, ereri, fUCK ME, kingdom hearts - Freeform, shingeki no kyojin - Freeform, what is it Eren
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-11-06
Updated: 2016-06-01
Packaged: 2017-12-31 17:44:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 59,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1034539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WindyWordz/pseuds/WindyWordz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As a child, Sora (Kingdom Hearts) wakes up in a strange world filled with cannibalistic giants that have driven humanity into cities surrounded by 50 meter high walls (Shingeki no Kyojin). Trapped in this unknown place, he's saved by a young Eren, who has recently joined the Recon Corps. Viewing this new world first-hand, Sora's life and mindset change forever as he grows up in a world where you can not win if you do not fight.</p><p>(( DISCONTINUED ))</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> So this entire story is based off an RP between myself and my friend Alys-chan between her muse (little Sora) and mine (Eren Jäger) that we started on Tumblr. The RP, once documented, ended up being a good 50+ pages. So I decided it was well worth it to take what we already had and turn it into a fic and she agrees. So now, here we are. Please enjoy the story.
> 
> Also: Trigger Warnings. There are bullying and self-harm scenes here and if you think you may have a problem with, please proceed with caution. :c
> 
> Some events may be inspired by my own personal experiences with said bullying and self-harm, so it may take some time between chapters to write those scenes. Please bare with me.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Setting the stage ;)

Sora gave a light groan as he finally came to, rubbing at his eyes tiredly. Pushing himself to sit up, he found himself in a strange, enclosed city. People eyed him strangely as they passed, but no one stopped to ask what was wrong or where he had come from. He looked around the strange place with confused eyes, before his baby blue hues gazed curiously at the large stone wall. He had woken up beside it, and from what he could see, there where people standing atop of it as well. But he didn't belong in here. From the way people looked at him, Sora assumed they didn't want to be bothered by a little kid like him so he let them be, and made his way along the wall to see if he could find a way out.

And that he did.

He found a small hole, small enough for a little boy like him to squeeze through. With a final look to the strange town he got onto his knees and found himself crawling through the tiny hole. The whole was rather tight, and the rock hurt his soft skin but Sora managed through it, concentrated on the exit just inches away. When he finally squeezed through the tyke grinned in delight and bounced on the balls of his sandals. He dusted himself off, rubbing at the light scratches to his tanned skin before he blinked at the strange feeling of rumble.

An earthquake?

Looking around, his baby blue hues narrowed at the sight of large, mutated humans that seemed to be running towards him. A loud gasp, followed by a scream escaped his lips before he found himself scrambling to get away from them. Sora, being a clumsy child by nature, whimpered as he fell or slipped before he tried running once more. But it was hard! The people were catching up to him, but why wouldn't they? He was a small little human boy, while they had long, tall legs that could carry them farther. However in the midst of his crying he found that he had been plucked up by a stranger; a hero. He looked up at the man with wet, red cheeks and found that he seemed to be covered in blood. Those monsters blood? Had he killed them?

 

-x- 

 

Eren was making a few rounds with Corporal Levi on the southern end of Wall Rosa. The breeze from atop the walls felt nice and he let the wind play with his shaggy brown locks while the corporal conversed with a few other soldiers. He looked down at the titans on the other side of the wall, their drooling mouths agape as they clawed at the wall, trying to get inside. He watch with hateful eyes, hands itching to grab his 3Dmg and kill them.   He suddenly noticed something was not right. The titans started turning and walking in the same direction as a group, leaving their places at the wall as if to follow a target.

Eren looked closer and saw a small animal - no, a child - running from the titans in terror. His eyes widened in horror and he grabbed the swords of his 3Dmg and flew down the wall, Levi turned and ran after him, swearing.  He had to get to the child before it was too late. He couldn't explain to the Corporal what he was doing or he wouldn't make it. Swinging down the wall, he flew over the titans and cut off the nape of two of their necks. Their bodies fell, causing a few of the other titans to trip and stumble, giving Eren just enough space to swing down and scoop up the child before they could recover. He shot back up to the top of the wall and threw the child down roughly in spite of his crying. 

"Ah!" Sora gasped as he was dropped onto the rock, tears flooding quicker to his eyes while he quivered at the sharp pain in his head and body. He pushed himself up onto his little hands and looked to where the yelling was coming from with fearful, worried and pained azure eyes.

 Levi rushed over and slapped Eren in the face. "What the hell were you doing, you shitty brat?" He demanded with a scowl, "That was against your orders! You could have been killed! You still might be."

 "But, I was not going to stand by and let those filth devour this child!" Eren shouted in defense, his defiant turquoise eyes locking with the hard brown eyes of the other.

Eh?" Levi said as his eyes fell to the small boy quivering behind Eren, his sniffling was rather annoying but his large blue eyes seemed to make something in him soften and that made him angry. "I don't give a flying fuck, Eren. You disobeyed orders for the sake of one, pathetic child."   The tanned, exotic child watched the two men argue with confused eyes. What was going on? Why where they yelling at each other? Turning his attention to his injuries, he found he had scratches all over his right arm and leg, which only made his lips quiver more at the sight.

"But-!" Eren started to protest. 

"Shut up!" Levi shouted before kicking Eren where it hurts the most and stepping on his head as he fell clutching his crotch. Hearing the hero boy drop to the ground made Sora jump, his large eyes looking back at the strangers in fear. "Learn your place, brat. The better question is, how the hell did he get past the wall in the first place?" Levi's stony eyes glared down at the small boy, who seemed to shrink behind the keeled over Eren even further.

"I-I found a hole," Sora hiccuped, as he sniffled and wiped his eyes. "I-I dunno where I am. I'm lost, I'm sorry!" He seemed to have a strange accent, indicating to the taller(but not by much) that he probably wasn't from around these parts.

"Lost?" Levi repeated, a slight hint of disbelief in his voice, "Yet you have the balls to go outside the walls with the titans? What kind of idiot are you, kid?" He glared at the small one ominously. Sora flinched at the insult, having been called such many times by Riku and the many arguments it had led to. But this was no small argument with his best friend, this was with a very scary and short man that looked like he would punish him at any moment.

"T-titans? Is that what those people are called?" The boy asked the taller man worriedly, eyes wide. That was a strange name for them, but what did Sora know? He had no idea how he even got to this strange, scary world.

Eren made his way out from under Levi's boot and set himself to a kneeling position, voice still slightly strained from the pain of Levi's kick. "Well he's fine now so just get the damn soldiers in the Garrison to fix the hole in the wall," he huffed as he looked up at Levi with a half-grin, cockiness shining on his lips, "I bet you liked kicking me down, made you finally look tall, eh Corporal?" Levi snapped and kicked Eren in the face and sent him flying into a canon with a huge crash. Sora winced at the hard kick, watching Eren with sympathetic eyes. This 'Levi' man was certainly scary! He made sure to remind himself stay away from him.

  "Cheeky brat," He muttered as soldiers rushed to help Eren. He turned his gaze back to the small child who cowered in his shadow, eyes full of tears. "Where are your parents?"

"M-my parents? Well, daddy's probably back at the islands," Sora muttered nervously, shifting on his knees. "Mommy lives in Radiant Garden, I think. I dunno."

Levi raised a brow at the small boy in somewhat curiosity. "Islands?" he asked, "Boy, there are no islands here. There might be some outside the walls but if you're outside, then the you do not survive. Your parents are dead." His voice was cold as ice and the words coming off his tongue sounded as if they could burn right through a person. He walked over to the now-standing Eren and spoke with him, pointing at the child before Eren wiped the blood from his face and walked over to the small tyke, kneeling down beside him.

"Come with me, kid," he said sternly, pulling the small child to his feet, "We'll get you cleaned up. I have to take care of you till we get this sorted out. Man, what a pain," he muttered the last part to himself before walking back towards the Corporal's receeding figure. The few onlooking soldiers dispersed to continue their duties that had been interrupted by the small commotion of the boy and the freak who had saved him.


	2. Welcome to the World of Broken Spirits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren's first day taking care of Sora with a small (haha not really) blemish near/at the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shit, this chapter's over 25,000 characters haha whooops~

It was as if his whole world had shattered around him.

"N-no…You’re wrong," Sora said quietly, his gaze down to the floor. "T-there is an Island! It’s called Destiny Islands, and everyone is okay!" He yelled, glaring up at the man who was already walking away. "My parents are okay! M-my friends…" Riku, Kairi, they couldn’t be dead. They  _couldn’t_ be!

"Y-you’re wrong…" He couldn’t be an orphan—not again! He promised, his dad promised… He’d never be alone again. So why, then, Why was Sora alone? He could hear the elder walk away, and Sora released a shaky breath. There was no way. His parents were strong, his people were strong! They couldn’t lose to those freaky people!

Feeling himself pulled up roughly, he looked up at Eren with broken, sad eyes. “C-cleaned…?” The younger said quietly, before he obediently followed the man off. His family, his friends… they were gone? Just like that? With no goodbye, nothing?

 

-x-

 

Eren readied a tub in the giant castle that was the Recon corps headquarters that they had returned to about an hour before. He turned to the small tyke sitting on the stool behind him. His face was set in stone, his eyes still wide in shock as he processed the death of the world he once knew. Eren sighed and rubbed the back of his neck as he walked over to him, “Oi, kid.” Sora didn’t respond, simply sitting on his seat quietly, his spikey hair covering most of his face. He was lost in his thoughts and for once in his life, he felt angry. A horrible, gut-curdling rage swirled in Sora’s tummy, and he couldn’t help but think: Why me? Why did he have to suffer? Why did he have to loose everything?

Eren sighed again and knelt down to the child so he was below his eye level and could look past his hair. "You know," he said quietly, "I lost my family, too. I was a little older than you, I think, but at least you didn’t watch your family die.”

Hearing the older boy speak broke his thoughts, but it didn’t make him feel any better. “…This is the second time I lost my family.” He said quietly. “The first time, when I was two, I saw my daddy stop breathing in the hospital. I didn’t get what happened to him, or why my mom was always angry or sad until one day this really nice man with a funny name took me from my house and brought me to his.” He looked up at Eren with watery eyes.

Eren couldn’t hide the uncertain frown on his face but he tried to force a smile and reassure the boy, “Chin up, kid. We’ll worry about that later, let’s get you cleaned up, alright?" The boy ignored Eren and instead continued on.

"I got to meet so many nice friends and new family because of my new momma and papa…and now…now you’re telling me that I lost everything? My best friends… my family… my home? A-and all you can say is ‘chin up’?" His soft, shaky voice began to get louder and louder until he was standing and yelling at the much taller boy.

"I don’t have anything! I don’t know who you are o-or where I am! What am I gunna do?!" 

Eren was slightly taken aback being yelled at by a five-year-old. He looked at the surprisingly angry face in front of him, the eyes almost full of hate and his own turquoise orbs widening as he realized what he saw. He saw himself in this boy, though he was younger, it was the same rage, the same hate he felt for the titans, now glaring at him through wet, cerulean eyes. He regained his composure and looked back at the child.

"What are you gunna do? Well, are you going to keep crying about it and yelling for no reason?" He stood up and looked down at the child, "Take your life in your own hands and move forward. You can only do that by fighting. If you fight, you win and survive, but if you give up and cry, you lose and die. You obviously survived for a reason, maybe your parents brought you here if Titans found your island and they could still be alive. So could your friends. But if you sit here, crying and yelling at me like the world centers around you, you’ll never find them, dammit!" He voice slowly rose until he himself was shouting and he looked at the child with not eyes full of retaliation, but determination to show him that it wasn’t the end. 

Why was he so mean? Just like everything else in this stupid world! Sora wanted his parents, for them to hug him and… Another choked sob forced itself past his lips as he nearly fell over in his tiny anguish. And yet… the other was looking at him with a strange familiarity that confused the child. Eren was looking at him with such an intense emotion, Sora didn’t know what to make of it.

Take his life? Move forward? Sora looked up at the other with confused blue eyes. Was he really trying to in force such a lesson on a distressed five year old? They needed to be coddled and nurtured… not… not treated like soldiers!

“B-but…but I don’t know how…” He whimpered, tiny fingers coming up to cover his wet face. “I-I can’t even… p-pwononce words right!” Sora hiccuped, shoulders quivering. “What do I d-do…” The younger sobbed, falling to onto his bottom. 

Eren sighed as the child’s sobs grew louder and he realized his speech was in vain. He didn’t know how to handle children. All he knew was how to kill Titans. That was all he’d known for the past five years. The small child in front of him sobbing like this… he was lost. For once, he didn’t know what to do with himself.

Really, what kind of adults where they if they didn’t know how to deal with children? Weren’t they gonna have babies one day? Sora could only cry, hands pressed against his eyes as his whimpers and cries slipped past his lips.

Thankfully, Armin came in to save the day.

"Hey, Eren, I heard about your little scuffle with the titans by the south end. What happe-" He stopped when he saw the small child crying and looked at Eren in confusion, who shrugged and turned back to the child sobbing on the floor with tortured eyes. Armin would have laughed at Eren if the situation wasn’t so familiar. He walked over to the spikey-headed boy and kneeled down next to him, pulling out a handkerchief from his pocket.

"Hey there, don’t cry now, you’ll get a headache," Armin folded the handkerchief over his fingers and wiped away the boys tears, "You know what? I bet if you stop crying and let us give you a bath, we can go looking for your parents. I bet they’re somewhere in the city." He picked up the small child’s hands and wiped the tears away from them before smiling up at the boy, "Would you like that?"

At the gentle coo, Sora blinked his eyes open to see who it was. Not surprising, it wasn’t the boy who had yelled at him, but someone else. His eyes were sweet and Sora felt a pleasant wave of security wash over him. The smile on the older boy’s lips could only prove that his intentions were true, to help him feel better. He sniffled and released a wet hiccup as the boy spoke to Sora, and suddenly he began to feel better.

"Y-yes…" The younger sniffled as the blond wiped his face clean of snot and tears. He decided that he liked this boy a lot more than the last two people he’d met. 

"I will never understand how you deal with children so well, Armin," Eren muttered as Armin lead the child to the bath. He just chuckled with a small "thanks" and started helping him out of his clothes and into the bath. Sora watched the boy as he helped him out of his dirty clothes, his smile never leaving. He shifted as he raised his arms to remove his shirt before lifting one leg after the other to remove his trousers. Giving an almost delighted sound as he was lifted into the bathroom, he shifted as he sat down in the water.   

"Hey, Eren, I have to go and finish up my errands for the captain. Can you finish helping him with his bath? Thanks!" He hurridly left the room and Eren was left with the small child playing in the bubbles.  Looking up as the blond suddenly left, Sora frowned before turning his attention to the bubbles sounding him, little fingers popping and nudging at them while a small smile grew on Sora’s face.

"O-Oi! Armin!" Eren called after him but he was already gone. He sighed and looked back at the child happily entertaining himself and he stripped off his jacket, rolling up his sleeves. He picked up the cloth Armin had put down and kneeled next to the tub. 

"Hey, what’s your name, kid?" He asked uncertainly as he started scrubbing the back of the small one as gently as he could. 

Feeling Eren settle beside him and began to wash his small back, he blinked to pay attention. “O-oh, my name is Sora.” He mumbled lightly, blowing off bubbles from his hands. “Sora Strife.” 

"O-oh," Eren replied nervously, "That’s a cool name. My name’s Eren. Eren Jägar." He tried to smile but he still wasn’t sure how to handle kids. Based on the small display from Armin, no yelling, no speeches, no violence and talk as if they’re the world to you. No wonder he had a hard time communicating with this boy. He continued to wash Sora’s back and then the rest of him until he was completely clean. 

"That scary guy said it already." He murmured as Eren told him his name, looking up at the man. "A-are…are you okay…? He threw you into the wall…" Sora shifted as he ran his fingers through the form, a smile on Sora’s lips. A small purr left his lips as the other rubbed his back, eyes slipping shut in delight.

"Oh, you mean Captain Levi? Yeah, he’s incredibly violent but he was just punishing me for acting on my own. I deserved it, but I can take more than that," He responded, pausing his scrubbing to give himself a thump of his fist on his chest with a cocky grin.

Thankfully, Armin had washed the boy’s clothes before he left and hung them to dry. Why was he so good at this? The clothes were still a bit damp so he decided to leave them there and turned back to the small boy popping the last of the bubbles in the tub and sighed.

"Hey, Sora. Your clothes are still a bit damp, do you want to stay in the tub a little longer? I can add more bubbles." Was he doing this right? He had no idea. Small children were a mystery to him even when he was one. 

"Mm…I’ll stay in here a little. I’ll get sick if I wear them wet." He muttered, looking up at Eren quietly. "I-I’d like bubbles, if it’s okay." Sora squeaked, eyes wide as the other actually began pushing effort into his actions. It was rather thoughtful of him. 

Eren walked over to the tub again and picked up the bubble soap, pouring some in and swirling it around to make more of the shiny little orbs that intrigued the younger so deeply. He looked at Sora as he played in the bubbles, a happy smile on the once-sobbing child’s face. He couldn’t help a small smile creeping onto his lips as he watched. 

Piling a small mountain of suds onto his tiny hands, Sora held them close to his lips before blowing them off, his small grin widening as he watched them flutter off into the wind and pop. It felt nice to think about something other than the depressing news. He felt like a kid again, like when he was…back home. 

After a while, the small boy’s clothes were dry and Eren helped Sora out of the tub and dried him off with the towel before helping him put his clothes on. It was late-afternoon and the sun was beginning its cycle to set. The evening breeze drifted in through the window and danced around the room. Eren remembered Armin promising to look for the kid’s parents and Armin didn’t look like he was coming back anytime soon. 

"Hey, Sora," He said to the small child, "Uh, its gunna start getting late, so if you want to go look for your parents then we should probably go now. We won’t have much time though." He looked out the window at the slowly darkening sky and wondered if his parents were even alive. 

Hearing Eren warn Sora about his clothes, he shifted and stood up before he looked at the man. He wiggled into his clothes before he looked down at them with a little smile. At least he had his clothes to remind him of his home.

"Hey, Sora, how old are you?" Eren asked, trying to gently tug the shirt over the boy’s rather fluffy hair-spikes. 

"Oh!" He chirped, smiling some at the other. "I-I just turned five a few months ago." _Five years old…_  Eren thought. That was about the time when the first Colossal Titan attack occured. He hoped the kid’s parents weren’t dead. 

Sora shifted in his spot. "H-how old are you, Eren?" 

Looking down at the spikey-headed child, he answered, “I’m fifteen. I just graduated the Training Corps recently and after a few, uh, mishaps, I got into the Recon Corps thanks to Corporal Levi and Commander Erwin. I guess you could say I’m almost a superhero who fights giants.” He winked and gave a corny thumbs-up with a cocked smile. He was getting the hang of talking with kids as Sora’s cerulean eyes looked up at him in awe. 

"Recon corps?" Sora questioned, tilting his head. "Do you…fight those big people outside the walls?" Sora inquired before his eyes widened at the others words. He was a superhero? That was so…so cool! He had never met a a real superhero before! Just people in costumes for Halloween, which wasn’t as cool!

Eren held his hand down and offered it to Sora, “Come on, let’s go look for your parents in the Market Place, maybe they’re down there.” 

"O-okay," He said timidly, taking Eren’s hand before following him to wherever it was he was being led to. The town seemed rather peaceful, or peaceful enough. The people were chatting and going about their daily lives, it didn’t seem like anything bad could even happen. 

"Recon Corps is a group of soldiers who go outside the wall to fight the big people, which we call Titans," Eren explained as they walked, "The titans uh, fight us so we kill them. They don’t have feelings so it’s ok. They’re just really big monsters." He walked for a bit before Levi saw them and gave Eren a questioning stare before looking at the child who was still in awe before walking away without a word, allowing their passage. 

"Wow…that sounds real dangerous." He muttered, looking up at the man before a small smile fell to his lips. "Papa would love to do that… Help people. He did something like that before he adopted me, I think. He talks about it sometimes, but he always gets so sad… he said he lost a lot of friends." He frowned at the words, before looking down.

Sora lost a lot of friends, too.

As they reached the Market Place, they wandered around and asked people if they’d seen the small boy’s parents but everyone just laughed at such ridiculous names. No one would have names like those here. Eren pushed on with Sora until the sun was almost below the wall before he stopped, looking down at the small child. They’d had no luck and even been made fun of and he knew that Sora was on the verge of tears again.

Sora felt so…offended. How could these people be so mean? Sure his parents had strange name - who’d name their kid Cloud, anyways? - but they where his parents! And from the look of it, his parents really where gone… His shoulders slumped and he felt his eyes brim with tears. What would he do now? Sora had no home, no family… would he live on the streets? Struggling to survive? How could he possibly believe there was any hope for his family? Even as small as they were…how could Sora ever even believe he could have a normal life? 

Eren saw the little tyke start to tear up and he grimaced in horror. Oh god, if he started bawling here, he’d never hear the end of it! Stupid upper-classmen thinking they were so much better than everyone. It was the same after the refugees came in. He had to think quickly and he furrowed his brows in thought before an idea he considered ridiculous came to him. 

He quickly picked up the small child and plopped him on his shoulders, holding his ankles. "You know what, kid, I bet your parents are looking for you, too! But it’s getting late now so why don’t you head back to the barracks with me for now, since I’m in charge of taking care of you." He looked up at him and smiled as reassuringly as he could towards the small one. "Come now, to adventure!" He said loudly and started running through the streets until they were on the wall-side roads where there was very little people. 

"O-okay…" He muttered quietly, giving a squeak as he was hoisted onto the boy’s shoulders. Sora held onto him tightly, eyes wide at how high up he was. A squeal of surprise left his lips as Eren began to run, before laughter broke through as well.

"Aah! You’re going to fast!" Sora giggled, looking down at the dark haired man beneath him. Maybe Eren wasn’t so bad.

They were running along the wall when a huge explosion erupted out of it back near the marketplace. The rumbling shuddered the ground for a moment, causing Eren to stumble in his trot but he kept his balance, looking back in the direction of the tremors in shock. His expression soon turned to horror as the dust settled exposing the large hole in the wall. The hole was only big enough for the smaller titans to get through, only up to 8-meter class if they crouched.

"Titans!?" Eren exclaimed in shock, quickly taking the child from his shoulders and into his arms, running towards the nearest entrance to the top of the wall.

Sora released a surprised yelp as he heard the large explosion, eyes wide in fright as he looked over. “E…Eren?” He said shakily. “Is that…is that supposed to happen?” He whimpered as he was taken down, and hid in the others neck, arms wound tightly around his neck as he was carried away. Once Eren was on top of the wall, he quickly set Sora next to a pyramid of ammo boxes and kneeled down next to him. Feeling himself placed down, Sora looked around him, fear in his eyes before he looked up at the brunette.

"Oi, Sora!" Eren said quickly, "You must stay here and not move, do you hear me, do  _not_ move or those Titans will get you, alright? They won’t get you up here but you must not move from here, okay? If anyone bothers you, you just tell them I put you here under orders from Corporal Levi, understand?”  

“I-I…I won’t.” He said shakily, nodding his head obediently before he pulled his knees to his chest, trying to keep as still and out of the way as he could. Before the other could leave, he grabbed his hand, looking up desperately. “D-don’t get hurt!” He begged. “Please… y-you’re my only friend.” He sniffled, before letting go of the teen. 

Eren stopped at the other’s cry and he looked down at him in surprise before his expression instinctively softened when he saw the other’s tears, smiling slightly. “Don’t worry,” he said, “I’ll be fine, I always am.” With that he dashed off to put on 3Dmg gear before jumping off the ledge and flying away towards the explosion.

Sora gave a small smile at the others words before nodding some and watching him jump away with awe struck eyes. He wished he could do something like that, it was incredible! If he had to be stuck in this world forever… He looked down at his lap before gasping at the sound of the wall breaking apart. He shifted from his seat, crawling to the edge to peer over. At the sight of the monsters crawling about he instantly hurried back to his spot, eyes wide with terror. How did these monsters even come to be? It seemed so unreal…He had heard of some problems occurring in some of the other worlds, but what kind of horrid problem was this?

 

-x-

 

Eren landed on a building near the scene where the smallest of titans were still devouring the few people who were closest to the wall at the time. The hole was about four meters tall and two to three meters wide now, Titans were jammed up in it trying to force their way inside, mouths agape and drooling at the sight of the humans. “Disgusting filth,” Eren muttered before Levi landed next to him.

"Where the hell were you, you shitty brat?" He demanded with a scowl.  

 Eren turned to him in a salute, “Sir, I was watching over the child from earlier today by the East end of the town. When I heard the explosion, I placed him in a safe place and equipped the maneuver gear before immediately coming over here.”

"Is that so?" Levi said before the wall suddenly cracked loudly and broke off more, the stream of titans that was blocking the hole now came pouring in. "Son of a bitch!" Levi cursed as he and Eren dashed out of the way as a titan jumped onto their building.

"Eren!" Levi shouted, grabbing the other’s attention as he landed from slicing the neck of a larger titan, "There are a few headed over that way, towards the bazaar! Handle them for me! You guys over there, go with Eren after those Titans! We’ll kill the ones here." He dashed away, slicing off the nape of several titans. Eren clicked the triggers on his 3Dmg and shot away with a group of others, including Mikasa who had just arrived. 

"Eren! What’s going on!?" She asked as they swung after the titans but was interrupted as one sprung out from behind a building as her. She skillfully dodged and sliced through the back of its neck with ease, its huge body toppled to the ground in steam. 

"I don’t know but they broke through the wall using a small hole we found earlier! Only a few civilians were killed but most of them got a-" Eren was cut off by the sound of screaming in front of them. They turned the corner to find the titans had reached a group of people next to the wall who hadn’t gotten away yet. "Dammit!" Eren cursed before attacking with Mikasa, the rest of the group slicing through them as well. Eren dashed out of the way as one of the Titan’s jumped up to chomp at him but another soldier flew in behind him not seeing the monster. His left side disappeared and his right side went spinning out of control and splattered against the wall.

 

-x-

 

Sora shook in the shadow of the ammunition boxes, his young imagination  unable to comprehend the grotesque sounds coming from below his hidden perch. Where was Eren? Or that nice boy from earlier? He was so scared—he felt so alone. He didn’t want to be alone anymore.

He shifted, moving to the edge once more, though keeping his distance to refrain from falling over. His eyes widened at what he saw then, and he felt his heart nearly stop beating at the scene. From his point of view, he could see everything, all the monsters and the people fighting them. He almost fell to his knees before he caught himself on the wall, his bottom lip trembling at the sight of men and women being eaten alive and torn apart. “N-no… people… people don’t… They can’t…” He whimpered, and for a moment, his sadness was turned into anger. Sora gripped his hands into fists as he cried, eyes glaring at the monsters.

How dare they kill all of those men and women fighting for their lives! How dare they eat his family—his parents

**How dare they!**   


 

-x-

 

The soldiers finally managed to kill all of the Titans and seal up the hole in the wall enough so no more could pass through. Eren surveyed the damage; there was blood everywhere, both the titans steaming blood and the blood of soldiers who fought for their lives… and lost them in the process. He returned to the hole with Mikasa and landed beside Corporal Levi, a solemn look on his face.   

"Well?" Levi asked as if they were discussing a bargain over tea, "How did it feel, Eren? To finally kill Titans for the first time in the field of battle without being one?" Eren grimaced and said nothing. Mikasa glared at Levi with a look that could kill before Levi looked up at the area Eren said he had placed Sora. "Go retrieve the child. We’re returning to headquarters." He turned and flew off, leaving Mikasa with Eren.

"Child? Eren, is that the child I heard about this morning who went through the wall? I thought he died?" Mikasa asked casually. Eren turned his gaze to the top of the wall where Sora was waiting.  

 "No, he didn’t," he replied, "I saved him before the titans could kill him." He looked down at himself, covered in the blood of battle, some of it still steaming, and ground his teeth in a grimace. He certainly didn’t look like a superhero. "I take it you’re going to follow me so let’s go," he said, slightly monotonous, before jumping off the building and zooming towards the wall-cannons with Mikasa close on his heels.

 

-x-

 

When Eren and Mikasa began to make their way towards the younger, they would only find him gazing at the ruined town with distant eyes, lost in his thoughts. His cheerful smile was gone, replaced by a grimace of hatred. His sparkling, friendly eyes were replaced by those of hatred and anger. He would kill them, all of them. With his bare hands if need be. They deserved it for the countless lives they took. Sora was going to become like Eren; a hero. A real hero, not those who lived on the pages of a comic book or flew through the drawn slides of a cartoon. No, he was going to be a real hero.

A protector.

Sora was going to be the light that people would look to, the light they could depend on. Even if he was killed a hundred times by then, he wouldn’t give up. In that moment, Eren’s words seemed to haunt him. ‘Fight to survive.’ He had said. That was exactly what Sora was going to do.

He was going to survive.


	3. No Longer Innocent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren picks up Sora and becomes his official Guardian now that Sora is convinced his parents are dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Five year time jump in the middle haha but don't worry nothing super big or important happens in those five years worth going really into. Nothing Eren/Sora anyways (not in a sexual way)

“Oi, Sora!” Eren called out as he landed atop the wall and trotted over to the pyramid of boxes he had hidden Sora behind. Mikasa landed after him and followed more slowly. “Hey, I’m back. We defeated all the monsters now so it’s alright to come out.” He turned the corner and saw the small one looking over the wall at the scene that Eren had just left. The brunette furrowed his brows slightly in confusion at the spikey-headed boy’s expression. Why were his eyes so dull? They had been so full of emotion before, but now they were an angry electric blue. 

"Hey, Sora, what’s wrong?" Eren asked again, a spark of worry in his chest, "We beat them so you don’t have to be scared any more. Come on, now."

Eren’s voice was nothing more than a careless whisper echoing in the back of his mind, the front of it stained with the images of a bloody carnage. There was a reason children weren’t introduced to such violence at a young age or rather, they weren’t supposed to. It hurt them, psychologically or something, Sora remembered his mother saying that once. Back when he had been caught watching a horror movie with a friend. He had been crying and couldn’t sleep for days; almost two weeks.

However, this was the real deal. This was the slasher that he hadn’t been allowed to see. This was the gore he had been shied from and protected from. This was everything Sora knew was morally wrong and yet he couldn’t keep his angry eyes away from the mess.  Eren looked over the wall in the direction the child was staring and saw in horror at what a mess the small invasion had ended up being.

Blood and steaming bodies were all over the roads and buildings. Half eaten civilians and the torn apart bodies of soldiers were strewn all over the place in bloody heaps. Eren looked back down at the child. He had the perfect view of the hell before him from where Eren had placed him. How could he have been so stupid? He’d given this child a front row seat of the titans. He was only five, he hadn’t needed to see this. 

"Dammit" he muttered before standing up again, picking the small child up and into his arms.

Sora didn’t snap out of his trance until he was taken into Eren’s arms and pulled close to him. It was a gesture Sora assumed was used to comfort him, but he sought no such thing from it. However, he curled against the other regardless, nuzzling into his neck while little fingers gripped at his jacket. 

He didn’t cry, he had no right. How could Sora cry when all those people died? He had been hidden away by Eren and kept safe, but the people down there all died. The young boy remembered, back in his memories, an old woman speaking to his mother about death. There had been a strange innocence in the children who knew not of death.

Sora guessed he just wasn’t innocent anymore.

Eren turned to Mikasa with the toddler in his arms, “We need to leave, now. We’re going back to HQ to meet with the corporal.” He turned to the edge and looked towards Sora. “Hey, Sora,” He said gently, “ I’ll get you back to the castle as soon as possible, but you have to hold onto me real tight, alright?” 

Sora pulled away from the elder to peer up at the mention of his name. He gave a small nod at his words, wrapping his arms around Eren’s neck tightly. “Okay.” He mumbled lightly, pressing back against the nape of his neck. 

Mikasa had never seen this side of Eren. He was usually so emotional, angry and reckless. She’d never seen him be so… gentle, almost loving. She shook her head to clear away the thought. Eren wasn’t that weak, he was just following the orders the short bastard had given him.

Eren adjusted his gear so he was supporting Sora from underneath while still holding his sword handles and jumped off, swinging down between the buildings. The younger peered over his shoulder as he felt Eren jump into the air and propel them forward. It was strange, seeing them soar through the air, pulled along by machines. Maybe someday Sora would learn to use these gears too. Then again, he supposed he’d have to if he planned to carry out his goal.  Mikasa followed suit and they soon arrived back at the HQ just as their gas ran out. Eren walked over to Levi, still holding Sora, and Mikasa went to check back in with her squad leader. Eren saluted, still holding the child that was buried in his neck. At the sight of the short, mean man Sora hid back into Eren’s neck. His grip tightened instinctively on the brunet, a frown pressing against his olive skin. 

“Sir, I have returned,” he said as the corporal turned to look at him.  “Oh? You’re late Eren,” he responded with the same serious eyes as usual. His gaze shifted to the child and somewhat seemed to soften ever so slightly, “How’s the kid?”

Eren’s face dropped and he looked at Sora, “I placed him in a safe place before I arrived and I returned to find him physically unharmed…” He trailed off.  “And his mentality?” Levi asked but Eren’s face answered his question and he walked away towards the castle. “Get him something to eat and into bed. He can sleep in your room.” And with that he was gone, into the castle.

They were talking about him, with words Sora couldn’t understand, even if he tried his best. What was a mint-aah-leety? What strange words adults used. Sora hoped he’d learn them too when he grew older. 

"Is…is it bad?" He mumbled quietly, pulling away once he assumed the Corporal had gone inside. "That word he said…Min…taleety? A-am I broken?" The child asked, looking up at the other with his big eyes. "Because…of what I saw? With the monsters?"

Eren looked at him with concern before forcing a smile, “No, Sora, You’re not broken. You just saw some scary stuff and in what we call a ‘state of shock.’ So we’re gunna get you a good meal and a good night’s sleep and then we can look for your parents again tomorrow, alright?”

Sora nodded a little at Eren’s response, before he gave a small smile. “Yeah, o-okay.” He said lightly, before leaning against the other once more. He found Eren to be more comforting than he had first thought, which was good, right?

The boy had come off as mean before, but…Sora guessed they were really bonding now. Even if it was for a bad reason, at least Sora knew he had someone to lean on. Who knows, maybe Eren would be the person to help Sora become what Eren was, a hero. Sora hoped so, he needed all the help he could possibly get.

Eren himself wasn’t so sure if Sora was “broken”, as he had put it. What happened was… that was not something children were supposed to see. Even Eren, at ten, had watched his mother be killed by a titan and eaten before his very eyes, but he was five years older than Sora. At this age… who knows what that kind of scene could have done to his mind.

He walked into the castle with the small child and headed towards the kitchen, hoping a hot meal and a good night’s sleep would fix them both.

-Seven Years Later-

“Oi, Sora! It’s time to wake up!” Eren called as he passed the boy’s room. He heard an annoyed grumble and snickered before he continued on his way. He entered the mess hall and walked over to the kitchen to make some breakfast for himself and for Sora when he finally got out of bed. Who knew he’d be such a heavy sleeper?

The kid winced at the sound, eyes opening tiredly. “W-wha?” He grumbled, rubbing at his eyes.  _What? What time is it? What! It's so early!_  He glared at the door angrily, flopping back down onto the bed in defeat before he sighed lowly. It’d be best to get up before Eren decided to through him out of bed again. Sora still had a bruise from last time!

Once properly dressed, Sora passed by the mirror on the way to the door. He faltered at the sight of his reflection, turning to face the glass before he mimicked the stance he had seen all the soldiers do when he was younger. One arm folded behind his back, while the other was planted boldly above his heart.

The kid gave a grin that mimicked Eren’s cocky half smile before making his way off again, his stomach growling for attention.

Eren looked up as Sora entered the dining hall, his sleepy face a familiar sight. The young boy’s tan jacket hung loosely over his shoulders, as he had yet to grow into Eren’s old clothes. Even if the older man’s coat was too big, Sora didn’t think he could live without it. It came with a strange sense of comfort, though the notion could simply be steamed to the fact that it’s previous owner was Sora’s caretaker of sorts. 

He waved him over and passed a bowl of food over to him. “Well, look who finally got out of bed! Were you dreaming of being a rock or something?”

Sora sat beside Eren tiredly, rubbing at his blurry eyes. “No,” he grumbled to the green eyed man.

“Were you dreaming of taking a long shit?” Levi asked from across the table, his serious expression only making the comment more humorous.

“Oh, were you dreaming about Titans!?” Hanji asked excitedly as she walked over to their table.

“Or shitting titans. ,” Levi commented, taking a sip of tea as he crossed his legs

Sora’s eyes widened and his cheeks flushed. “No!” The brunette exclaimed in disgust, looking at the two in irritation.

“That’s enough,” Mikasa said as she sat down with a bowl of her own, “We all know he was dreaming of something perverted.” She ate a spoonful of porridge casually.

Eren laughed as he finished his bowl, “Well, let’s hope it wasn’t about you then, Mikasa.” Mikasa’s cheeks flushed and she stuffed her mouth with another spoonful of the grey mush in front of her.

"I wasn’t dreaming about any of that, dammit!" The teen yelled in frustration—not that he hadn’t dreamt of naughty things either, he _was_ going through puberty after all— before turning his irritated eyes to Eren. 

"No, it was a memory." He grumbled, nudging the disgusting looking food away from him. "Before I…appeared here." He looked down at the splintering wood of the table, eyes distant. "I was dreaming about…" e squinted his eyes in thought. "These two kids…they were my friends I think. We were playing in the ocean, and…" He rubbed at his forehead, suddenly gaining a headache. "I can’t remember anything else…"

Eren laughed at the boy’s reaction and pat his head lightly. “Well, i’m sure you’ll have it again.” 

"I guess," Sora reasoned before swatting the older’s hand away. "Stop! You’re messing up my hair again." He huffed, a light flush filling his tanned cheeks once more. They certainly weren’t as tan as they used to be, back when he was younger. He was paler now, from staying indoors and such.

"Well, someone’s in a touchy mood," Eren joked and pulled the smaller one’s hood over his head in jest, hoping to see Sora’s eyes alight with humor for once. Eren took another spoonful of the mush and stuck it in his mouth before he pushed the bowl back in front of Sora, “Eat it, or I’ll make you clean the horse stables by yourself.” 

Sora frowned as the elder did, before he pushed the hood back. There was no smile, no humor. There hadn’t been for years now, not since that day. Just an empty, shallow ghost of a grin that once was. No where near as fulfilling and kind as it’s predecessor. 

Levi placed his empty cup down, looking up at Eren, “Eren, we’re going on a recon mission later. Just our team. We’re checking out the north side of Wall Maria to check for titans we might have missed after reclaiming it. We don’t want to let civilians into the wall if there are still titans around.”  

"Yes, sir," Eren replied as he finished his food, placing the spoon in the bowl. He pushed his chair back and stood up, Mikasa following suit. Her red scarf brushed the table as she stood and she folded back a piece of glossy black hair behind her ear.

"You’re leaving?" Sora frowned up at the green eyed man, worry clear in the sapphire hues. "Don’t get killed." Sora said anxiously, wishing that he could go with the older, but he knew he was still too young. He wasn’t even old enough to join the force for training, let alone follow his caretaker into dangerous territory. That would change with his birthday in a few months when he would turn twelve and finally be the minimal age to volunteer for the military.

"Gotcha’," Eren replied as he walked towards the kitchen, placing his bowl in the sink. Levi stood and followed him.

As the others left, Sora was finally able to slump his shoulders and sigh shakily. A hand pressed quietly against his stomach, his face squinting at the pain. Now that Eren had finally left for work, he should probably check the marks. Walking silently and quietly towards his—after many years of complaint—own room, Sora grimaced at the memory. Teenagers were so cruel sometimes, picking on someone smaller than them.

Nudging the door open, he walked into his room and stood before the mirror. He had slipped his shirt off by then, exposing the black and blue bruises littering his chest and abdomen. Sora winced at the sight, before his arms fell limp against his side. He was so weak. Not muscle wise, but his mentality. He couldn’t even fight back against the asshole children who did this to him. His hands formed into fists as he glared at his own reflection, tears springing to his eyes at the words scribbled messily against his chest.

_ Wuss._

_ Freak!_

_ Cry baby._

And as much as Sora hated to admit it, he was. He absolutely was


	4. Run-in The Forest of Bigass Trees

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren finds out what Sora's been doing in his spare time and they decide to go for a run in the forest of bigass trees

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh, I love the sight of young angst in the morning. Sora's turning out to be quite the rude youngster, haha. Jean, what have you been teaching this kid?

As they all walked down the staircase that led to the ammunition room where all their maneuver gear and food storages were kept, Eren stopped in the doorway, "Ah, I forgot my cloak in my room. I’ll be right back!" He called as he ran back up the staircase and down the hall towards his room. He slowed to a walk as he arrived, opening the door to the relatively empty room. Levi always forced him to keep it spotless or the punishments were severe. He shivered at the thought. 

Eren walked over to the drawer next to his bed, pulling out the top drawer to his cloaks. Pulling one out, he closed the drawer and exited the room. He was about to return to the ammunition room before he saw the light on in Sora’s room down the hall. _Maybe I should say goodbye to him this time,_ he thought to himself before walking to Sora’s door. “Hey, Sora, I’m off now-” He stopped as he opened the door, spotting the young boy in front of the mirror, his shirt held up, exposing the many injuries that littered his body. Sora squeezed his eyes shut, hearing their taunting words whisper into his ears. He gritted his teeth as their laughter teased him, echoing all around him until it was broken by the sound of the door creaking open. Sora’s eyes snapped open as he turned to the door. Eren’s eyes widened in shock and concern before turning to anger as he dropped his cloak, dashing to the young boy. 

The first thing Sora did was push his shirt down, eyes wide as he looked at his caretaker in shock. Eren wasn’t supposed to know, he wasn’t! He winced as he looked away, feeling Eren pull his shirt back up. “It-it’s not a big deal.” Sora said quietly, trying to tug his shirt lower. God forbid he saw the words scribbled across his chest as well. “Let go—” he tried to wiggle away, his eyes angry and full of tears as the child kept his gaze away. “Let go…!” 

He held up his shirt as he looked over the injuries with brooding eyes and furrowed brows. “Who did this to you?” He asked quietly. The bruises that covered Sora’s body were dark and angry, sensitive to the touch. Their black and purple eyes all staring Eren in the face, as if mocking his ability to take care of Sora. “Who did this to you?” He asked more sternly, his brilliant green eyes rising to fearful cerulean.

"Sora!" Eren said angrily, "Who the  _fuck_ did this to you!?” His eyes glared into the younger’s as he wrapped a vice grip around Sora’s wrist, preventing him from escaping. “Tell me, Sora, now!” They stood at a standstill as they eyed each other, wondering who would make the first move. After several moments, Eren closed his eyes and sighed, releasing the other. He righted himself and looked down at him with half-lidded, defeated eyes.  

Sora winced at the others raised voice and looked down. His eyebrows were furrowed and his eyes squeezed shut as he tried to block out the yelling. He hated when Eren yelled or snapped at him. He was the only person Sora considered his family, and…family doesn’t yell at family…right? Soon Sora opened his eyes defiantly, looking back at the other with eyes swirling with different, confusing emotions. He felt so conflicted.

Eren sighed again and picked up his cloak, before throwing it over the young boy, fastening the button around his neck. “How about,” he said softly, trying to break the tension that had thickened in the silence, “After I come back, I take you out to the forest again? We’ll go on my maneuver gear. Would you like that?” He looked into the boy’s eyes, his hands resting on Sora’s shoulders and he gave a small smile

The child blinked his eyes in surprise as he looked at the cape in confusion before he glanced up at the boy.

“Y…yeah,” He murmured softly, happy that the other had changed the topic. His eyes seemed lighter at the question, and a small thankful smile graced his lips regardless. “Okay.” He mumbled, shifting to wrap his arms around the other and pull himself close. Sora wouldn’t tell him, he couldn’t. But… he felt guilty that he couldn’t because he hated making Eren worry. This was his problem, not Eren’s. He had enough problems to worry about.

Eren stood up again, giving the boy a pat on the shoulder. Sora winced at the light pat, his shoulder coming to gently rub at the light bruising on his collarbone. Eren walked towards the door, hesitating in the doorway, looking back at Sora, “I’ll be back soon, so don’t worry. A run through the forest will hopefully clear our minds.” He left, closing the door almost all the way. 

Sora’s eyes were shifted elsewhere as the other spoke, not wanting to meet Eren’s eyes. “Be safe.” He muttered softly, turning to gaze at the brunet as he left him alone in his room. Sora looked down at his shoes before he shifted to his bed, sitting down as he brought the others cloak close. Eren always smelled amazing, that sweet comforting smell Sora had grown to adore. The child sat curled on his bed, wrapped up in Eren’s cloak. He dozed off after a while, not wanting to sneak off into town this time. However, he woke to the sound of a rather agitated and grumpy tummy growling at him. Realizing that his stomach was in need of food. Sora grunted and forced himself up to walk down to the kitchen, and eyed the food he had left there. He threw it away, before washing the bowl. Last thing he wanted was for Levi to come after him for not washing a damn bowl. 

Snooping around the kitchen, he looked around for something he could eat. Nothing of interest, it seemed. Giving a sigh Sora swallowed back the painful bite of hunger and made his way off to his room once more. There seemed to be nothing more productive to do than sleep. Climbing back onto his bed, Sora curled back into a ball, bringing Eren’s cloak close to him. 

 

-x-

 

Eren’s footsteps echoed in the empty hallways, louder than usual. The marks on Sora’s body were disturbing. He’d seen them before, on Armin when they were young. The young boy was being bullied - he’d been going into town without Eren. He grabbed another cloak from his room before he continued. Eren entered the Ammunition room and quickly put on his maneuver gear, yolking his horse and swinging on. He rode up next to Levi, who glanced at him in annoyance. “What the hell took you so long?” he asked as Eren simply gave a smile.

"Ah, I accidentally locked my door as I left before so I had to pick it first," he replied hoping the lie was believable. The corporal’s eyes betrayed disbelief but he turned his head and continued forward without pestering, much to Eren’s relief. They headed towards the gate that lead to the area of Wall Maria and brought their horses to a run, heading towards the north gate they would soon return from with a successful report of an all-clear. Wall Maria had officially been regained from the titans.

Levi’s squad returned to the castle in a little under three hours. With Wall Maria recaptured, they could safely return to their lives before the attack twelve years ago. Even though Eren’s hometown was still inaccessible, it was a start.   Eren’s horse trotted up to the castle and he returned it to the stables. Levi had given him the rest of the day off after Eren had told him his plans. The Lance Corporal had become rather fond of his new squad and the small child Eren had rescued seven years ago. He was a lot like Eren, which Levi both liked and disliked about him. 

Eren trotted up the stairs and down the corridor of his and Sora’s rooms. He knocked on the door to the boy’s room, “Sora! I’m back.” After a moment of silence, he called again, “Sora?” He opened the door and poked his head in, spotting the child on his bed, wrapped in his cloak. “Sora…” A soft snore answered him and he chuckled quietly, entering the room and moving to sit on the edge of his bed.

Sora gave a soft sigh at the call of his name, shifting very little as he returned to sleep. Sora didn’t want to get up. He was so warm and comfortable. And… those voices were back, whispering sweetly to him.

_ "Sora, sweetie…"_ came a breathy tone, along with sweet laughter. He curled in closer to himself. _"We love you, son."_ A smile grew on his lips as he whispered softly to himself. “Mom… Dad…” he sighed.

_ "Why did you let us die…"_

Their happy faces turned bloodied, hands ripped off while they bled. A scream left his lips as he sat up, eyes wide as he panted. His shoulders quivered as tears built up. Hearing a gasp he turned his head and felt his rapidly beating heart jump at the sight of a person. He pushed himself away, against the wall in shock before he realized it was just a very startled Eren.

Eren blinked in shock, his hand pulled back in recoil from the scream as he looked at the clearly-frightened child. “Sora..." he started, his eyebrows furrowing in worry over the boy, “Are you okay, Sora?” The boy’s eyes were wide in terror, his skin lightly dusted with sweat. The blue eyes Eren loved were full of fright and shock, and Eren’s eyes widened as he saw tears. 

“I-I…" Sora looked away, eyes glancing around the room skittishly as he tried to collect his thoughts. "I’m fine," the eleven year old mumbled, fear and guilt still loitering in his distant blue eyes. It had all seemed too real. He couldn’t take them anymore! 

Eren immediately shifted closer, wrapping his arms around the small boy in an attempt to comfort him. The twenty-one-year-old rested his head on the smaller’s and listened to his hastened breath. "It’s just a dream, Sora. It’s not real." He knew the nightmare Sora had every once in a while about his parents, he’d described it to him after the first few times it had shown. 

Feeling arms wrap around him made Sora take a sharp intake of breath. Eren pulled him close and Sora found himself clinging to him like a baby. “I-I know…” He whimpered weakly, gripping the others shirt tightly. “But… but it feels so _real_ , I…” 

Eren held the boy close for a few moments before he pushed him back, wiping the tears from his eyes and fixing the cloak on him, "So, how ‘bout that forest run?" He gave Sora a small smile before ruffling Sora’s hooded head. The young boy looked up at the other as his tears were wiped away and his cloak was fixed.

“Yeah…” He nodded, a small smile on his lips. 

 

-x-

 

The forest was quiet now, no titans chasing or trying to eat them. No huge armies of stampeding horses. It was just Eren and Sora, trotting on the dark horse towards the forest of “big ass trees” as Levi liked to call it. Sora was quiet throughout the ride, eyes distant as he kept his arms wrapped around Eren’s waist tightly. “Was the mission okay?” He murmured, looking up at the other with big, curious eyes. “You look okay…but was everyone else?” He said, before grunting as they stopped. He shifted into the others arms as he was picked up, before set on his feet. Sora was still pissed about being so much smaller than the adult. He barely came up to his chest.

“Yeah, it went pretty smoothly," Eren replied calmly, not taking his eyes off the road ahead of them. Eren glanced down at the smaller boy in front of him before they arrived at the edge of the forest. Eren slid off, helping the child down then tying the horse. He turned to Sora and grinned. "Ready, kid?" He asked and started checking his maneuver gear to make sure it was secure since Sora would also be standing on the back. It was the safest way carry him as he flew. 

"Yeah," Sora muttered, looking at the gear warily before he stepped up close to the other. He wrapped his arms around his neck tightly, biting back an excited smile

Eren bent to pick the child up and over his head before placing him gently behind him on the maneuver gear. "Hold on tight, Sora!"

"Okay!" Sora exclaimed, grinning wide as he felt the tug and pull of the maneuver gear.

Eren clicked the trigger to his 3D Maneuver Gear and off they went, shooting through the trees at speeds far faster than horses could ever take them. Eren’s face split into his own excited smile whenever he was zipping through areas with his maneuver gear. He could still remember when he was in training camp and he was still learning to use it. He remembered the anger he felt towards titans back when he was Sora’s age.

Sora held on tight, joyous laughter leaving his lips as they zipped through the air. “This is so much fun!” He shouted into the wind, his grin seemingly unable to get any larger than it was already. Sora couldn’t wait until it was his turn to suit up, to be able to hold onto the handles and fight those gigantic idiots. He’d slay them all, every last one. He’d slaughter each one, drain them of their blood. Sora would do anything to kill all titans once and for all.

The memory of his mother forced it’s way into Eren’s mind. He saw her, the colossal titan, the boulder. It was all so clear. He saw her under the debris as he was carried away. The titan he loathed so much digging her out and snapping her back, right before his eyes. He saw the titan his hatred would forever be fueled by bite his mother in half, her blood raining down as Eren’s scream erupted from his chest in horror.

Sora was wrenched from his own thoughts at the sight of an upcoming tree. “E-eren! Look out!” He exclaimed loudly, terror in his eyes as he slammed into the branch. His arms released Eren as he fell lightly past him, his shirt catching onto a branch. 

Eren was so lost in his own thoughts that he wasn’t paying attention to where he was going. He heard Sora’s cry behind him and was pulled from his flashbacks in time to see a branch just a little too low. Eren’s head slammed into the wooden branch at full speed. The splintering pain was cut short by blackness and in the darkness, Eren could feel himself falling. He could hear Sora screeching. His fingers instinctively clicked the maneuver gear into a tree, stopping his fall and holding him up as his limp body hung a dozen meters above the ground.

 

-x-

 

hen he opened his eyes, Sora groaned loudly. Everything hurt, he couldn’t see yet. His vision was so blurred, he couldn’t tell the difference between what was the ground, and what was the tall trees above The pain knew no end, be it from his hanging from a tree branch, or the bruises littering his body that would only blossom into bigger ones now. He’d be lucky if a rib or two wasn’t broken from the sheer force he had rammed into the branch. At the sound of a groan Sora’s head shot up, looking up at his caretaker. He wiggled in an attempt for the branch to release him, though he was removed from the branch before it could snap. 

"E-Eren…?” He called out weakly, struggling to unhook himself from the branch. “E-Eren… Eren!” He whimpered.

Eren groaned as a pestering voice brought him back to consciousness. He blinked his eyes but something dripped into his right eye, blinding him. His head felt like it had been hacked open with a jackhammer. The ground extended far below him as he hung limply by his 3D maneuver gear. “Ugh… what the hell…” He held his head and righted himself before realizing Sora was missing. “Sora? Sora!” he called, looking around wildly, before looking up to see the boy caught on a smaller branch, his shirt riding up his armpits.

"Sora!" Eren shouted as he released one of his cables and shot towards him. He carefully plucked the small boy off the tree and zipped down to the ground, placing the small child down gently. He looked down at the young boy’s distressed face and sighed. "Sora… I’m sorry. That was my fault, I wasn’t paying attention." He looked down at the small boy’s abdomen where he knew there were bruises. "I hope I didn’t cause you any more pain."

"I-I…It’s okay." He said shakily, pulling his shirt down the second he was removed from the tree. "I-I should have noticed sooner, I…" He winced as he was placed on his feet, an arm wrapping protectively around his aching middle.

"Besides," the brunette paused as he lifted up Sora’s shirt before he could protest, exposing the paint spread on his chest, "I’d like you to explain this and why you’ve let the bullying get this bad without telling me." His eyes narrowed worriedly at the smaller brunette. At the others words, Sora looked up before gasping as his shirt was lifted to show the black words scribbled across his chest. 

No use hiding it now. “…I-It’s none of your business.” He said quietly, looking away. “I can’t…I can’t let you fight all my battles for me! I’m ten years old!” He glared up at the other. “T-this…this is my fight! I…I can’t be weak anymore!” He felt tears building in his eyes as Sora looked down, hands shaping into fists. “I can’t…I can’t be weak anymore…how will I…g-get rid of the Titans if…if I can’t even handle stupid bullies?”

It was difficult for Sora to go through all this, despite the past five years. His memories of his old home where scattered into the wind, nothing but blurred echoes of faces and voices he barely recognized. But from what he had gathered over the recent months was that he was or had been a decently happy child. 

And compared to now… He was being beaten up -how many times had he worried himself sick (figuratively and literally) over Eren and the others?- and he still had another two months until he’d be able to join the Recon Corps. He was just…too small for anything. Sora couldn’t go out into the town by himself—he did anyways and he always got punished  and Levi was just cruel when he punished Sora—He couldn’t do the one thing he so desperately wanted since he was five, and Eren still treated him like a baby!

Eren listened to Sora and he understood what he meant. How could he possibly defeat titans if he couldn’t even deal with a couple of bullies? Eren thought back to how he and Mikasa had always had to save Armin from being picked on. But this was different, Sora didn’t have anyone like himself or Mikasa to protect him. He narrowed his eyes in thought, eyebrows slightly furrowed in the silence between them when Sora was done. He sighed and released the boy’s shirt, flattening it back out and fixing his hood. He suddenly came up with an idea.

"Hey, Sora?" Eren started, picking the small child’s head up, "I know what it’s like to feel weak. I do. I watched my own mother killed by titans as I was carried to safety by someone I considered a worthless drunkard." He laughed, "You can’t let it get you down like this and you can’t cry over everything." He wiped away the child’s tears and fixed his hood again. "So, how about, I teach you some special soldier tricks, for handling those bullies on your own so they won’t get you anymore?" He grinned at the boy and put his hand on Sora’s head. Sapphire eyes glanced up into emeralds as the low voice spoke in a soothing tone. It wasn’t the first time he had heard of Eren’s background, and it didn’t make it sound any less gruesome each time he was reminded of his difficult past. 

“…Okay.” Sora murmured softly, leaning against the others hand.

Eren’s smile was interrupted at the pounding pain in his head. His hand flashed up as he winced before quickly putting his hand back down, covered in blood. Sora looked at the blood in startled shock, eyes wide. 

“E-Eren! Are you okay? We should go back!” He said shakily, sapphire orbs filling with guilt. This was all his fault! 

“I’m fine. I’m sorry to cut the trip short, Sora, but we should go back. Then I can teach you those soldier techniques, even before anyone else.” He winked at the small boy, gripping the other’s hand lightly.

“Y-Yeah, okay.” He gave the larger hand a tight squeeze before he offered an obedient nod.

The older brunette hauled the small boy onto the back of his maneuver gear once again, turning his head to speak. “I promise, I won’t get distracted this time. After I get fixed up, we’ll start your special training, since I’ll probably be out on sick leave and we don’t have any missions for the time being.” Sora watched the other shift before grunting as he was pulled onto his back. He felt wary, but he trusted Eren. Even if his stupid ass almost got them killed.

“Okay” He leaned against his shoulder, on high alert this time.

Eren started up his maneuver gear and sped off through the trees until he returned to their horse. The younger released a relaxed breath at the sight of the horse and allowed Eren to help him on before they began trotting off back to Wall Rose. They rode it back to the castle where they both received quite an earful from the corporal and worried looks from Mikasa. and Armin.


	5. Saved By A Pair of Familiar Green Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sora has a little run-in with his bullies after two months of training with Eren and Mikasa

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's a little shorter than my other one's but I'll try and make up for it in the next one, I promise.

_ -Two months later-_

Eren watched Mikasa spar with the younger boy as he was again thrown to the ground. He had been at this for almost five hours now and he had yet to land a single hit on the young woman, though he had perfected each move Eren and Mikasa had taught him. The boy seemed to be skilled in hand-hand combat, but with Mikasa as head of her graduating unit, Eren wasn’t surprised to find Sora almost defenseless against her.

Sora grunted at the feeling of his body hitting the ground, soft pants escaping from his chest. He struggled back to his feet, wiping his mouth off. Even as small as he was, no matter how many times he was thrown down, Sora refused to quit. He gave low sounds as he ran at the girl, throwing punch after punch, uppercuts - you name it. Sora knew he had gotten good over the last months, being a fast learner when he paid attention but…Mikasa was just scary good at fighting! Mikasa dodged all of the boy’s attempts to strike her and shifted onto one foot, spiraling behind him and knocking his feet from under him. Sora gave a yelp as he was brought down to the floor, gritting his teeth at the pain. Jeez, it still hurt! Eren smiled as he watched the boy get up again before calling out, “Hey! Sora, Mikasa! That’s enough for today, it’s almost lunch time!” Mikasa immediately stopped and jumped back a few feet from the younger before trotting over to Eren. 

"He’s very good, Eren, you’re a good teacher," she remarked as she turned to look at the boy. 

"Well, you’re a good sparring partner, Mikasa. We’ll be in there in a moment," He replied before she nodded and walked off. 

Sora glared at his guardian. He couldn’t call break like, what, ten minutes ago? Damn jerk! The eleven year old—twelve tomorrow—struggled to his feet with the help of the older man, before giving a soft sigh.. Eren walked over to the boy covered in dirt and panting like dog, holding out a hand. 

"You did great today, Sora. Your skills are coming along very nicely," He smiled down at the boy, looking into his azure eyes, 

"Thanks…" The boy muttered, brushing dirt off his bruised knees.

"I’m very proud of you."

Tanned cheeks turned pink at the others pride, before sapphire orbs widened in surprise. "R…really?" Sora squeaked, looking up at the other. "I …I haven’t done anything." He frowned. "I can’t even knock Mikasa down…"

"Not true. You’ve done an impeccable job learning the moves Mikasa and I taught you in just two months. Hell, it took us almost three years to master those moves. Well, mostly just me. Mikasa was always a natural at fighting," Eren looked down at the boy sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head before he remembered lunch. 

“I-I’m happy then.” Sora breathed. “I made you proud.” He looked down, the grin becoming a fond and shy smile. “I made you proud…” He said quietly to himself. Sora felt his red cheeks grow brighter at his praise. He looked so young, almost innocent with such a happy grin. Eren brushed the boy off some more so he could pass Levi’s inspection, at least until after lunch. He felt his stomach nibble at him softly. 

“So Sora, how about you come with me into town while I run some errands? Just the two of us,” he offered with a smile. Even though the boy’s face was always set in a grim expression, he couldn’t help but smile when he saw him. His presence was just so comforting. 

He blinked as he looked up at the other, before nodding a little. Going into town was always a scary thing for the boy, especially since his tormentors inhabited that area but Eren was going to be with him, Sora would be fine! He gripped the others hand tightly. “Okay.” He said.

-x-

The air was warm and the sun was bright as Eren walked through the town. A beautiful April day - April 24th, to be exact - surprisingly, since it was the rainy season.  He glanced behind him to make sure Sora was still keeping up and smiled at the boy he had in tow.

The warm air brought back strange, nostalgic feelings for the once island boy. He could vaguely remember a tropical island—a beach of some sorts.  warm air…and laughter…He snapped out of his trailing thoughts to look up at his guardian.

He stopped in front of one of the shops, looking back at Sora, “This is the last stop for today, Sora, then we can head back. I might be a while, so you can walk around if you’d like, but stay nearby, alright?” He smiled at the young boy before entering the shop, the small bell on the door giving a quiet jingle.

"Okay." He muttered, nodding his head obediently before he looked around the area. The town seemed dead that day, very few people out and about, which was strange. The young boy walked down a few streets, gazing warily between various buildings that all seemed to be vacant. On a sunny day like this, Sora would assume everyone would be out walking and talking to one another.

"Well, well, well, if it isn’t cry baby Sora." Came a gruff voice, and Sora immediately tensed. His bullies had found him, the thing he had been worrying over all morning. He squeezed his eyes shut before sighing as he turned to face the trio. "I don’t have time for you, asshole." The kid hissed, throwing in the curse for effect.

"Woah guys, be careful! Scare him too much and he’ll pee his pants!"

The younger nearly flinched at the mean words, oceanic eyes narrowed in annoyance. Hands turned into fists as he gripped them tight, itching to throw a punch at their ugly faces. How dare they make fun of him! “Shut up, asswipe! I’m not the one who wets his bed!”   "I find that hard to believe, crybaby!" The bully retorted with a grin, the two beside him snickering at his words. 

"Just go away! I’m not here to be bothered by your ugly face." Sora snapped, looking around warily. Where was Eren? He was taking so damn long!

-x-

The young boy walked along, his light, spikey hair waved gently in the warm breeze. for such a bright and sunny day, the town was strangely quiet. Oh, that’s right, this was the day the Titans attacked ten years ago. People are probably off mourning their lost loved ones at the memorial. He sighed, he was on his own way to the said memorial but he had woken up late. 

He stopped as he heard a sound from a few streets away. voices? He made his way down the road and turned the corner. He could hear the voices clearer now; was that taunting? Making sure to stay out of sight, the large twelve-year-old poked his head out from behind the wall, just enough to examine the commotion going on a few yards away.

He watched them for a bit, his olive-shaped eyes narrowing as he watched them exchange threats. What were they, five? His eyebrow twitched as the threats became lamer and lamer. This is stupid, he thought, why am I here? I need to get to the memorial.

He sighed and was about to leave before he saw the bully’s goons start to advance on the small brunette, who suddenly raised a fist in anger. He flinched, turning towards the younger in preparation to jump in to save him.  He ran into the clearing and stopped the bully’s attack, holding the young brunette’s wrist and one of the goons’ so neither of them could move. Fist raised to give the boy a punch, Sora was surprised at the feeling of someone holding him back. He gasped, eyes wide before he tried to struggle. 

_ Stupid brat,_ the newcomer thought as he looked back towards the younger. “Hey kid, you’re not hurt are ya?” His deep turquoise eyes meet bright azure as he towered over him, equal in height to the 13-year-old he held in his other hand, “Scaredy-cat.”

At the sight of a boy before him, Sora was shocked. Sapphire eyes widened as he looked up at the older boy. “U-uh…” _Who is this?_ “I-I’m…” He stepped away, confused. The sight of his turquoise eyes - no,that comment - sent him in a whirl of memories. Where had he seen… He looked at the boy with frightened eyes, before he took a step back. “Get away from me!” Sora exclaimed, a hand cradling his throbbing head. He groaned, gritting his teeth. 

_ Oh? That was new._ The silverette turned his attention back to the bullies as they tried to gang up on him, releasing the boy, dropping him to the ground. He grabbed the bully’s other fist as it was swung at him and flipped him onto his back before kicking the other one away into the second. He jumped away and the leader stood up, wiping his mouth.

"Shitty brat, why don’t you go back to your mama’s house where you belong!?" He cried out as he once again charged at him. The silverette sidestepped and practically phased behind the boy, crouching low to the ground on his back. He pulled his legs into his chest, leaning all his weight on his shoulders and pushed off with his arms. His feet landed a direct hit on the boy’s back and knocked him clear down the road, into a bale of hay. The other two scittered off in fright, grabbing their boss as they ran with a flash behind the corner.

A single though crossed Sora’s mind before he was dragged into a vortex of discarded and faded memories.

_ What the hell—what’s going on?_

He could… he could hear the sounds of children’s laughter and…and waves crashing on the shore… and his name. Someone was calling his name.

Turquoise eyes looked back at the younger boy slumped on the ground.  _Pathetic_ , he thought as he debated walking away. When he decided to help the boy, he took a few steps towards him, curiously examining the brunette for injuries. Especially his head, which he was still clutching with his hands. He could hear him panting softly and he wondered what could have sparked this reaction.

_ Sora…Sora…come on, you big goof!_

Sapphire eyes stared hard at the ground, tears building up. 

_ Who the hell’s voice is that? Why… Why does it sound so familiar…? _ He leaned his back against the brick wall behind him, a hand keeping himself steadied while the other cradled his throbbing head. 

_ Sora, you big dummy!_

_ Come on Sora—!_

_ Sora! Sora!_

"Stop!" He yelled out loud in exhaustion, half begging and half demanding the voices to leave him be. Strangely they did, receding back into the depths of his mind, as if they had been hibernating this whole time. As he finally relaxed, he slumped to the ground onto shaky knees, confusion clear on his face before he looked at the stranger with wary, nervous eyes. He had taken down all his bullies in one go. Wow, he felt weak and… pathetic.

The boy raised a brow as the brunette shouted, his hand stopped in midair as he kneeled down next to the boy.

"W-who the hell a-are you?"

"I think I should be asking the questions here," he replied before placing his hand on the brunette’s shoulder, his black glove dusted with dirt from his earlier technique. "Are you alright? You seemed to go into some kind of weird trance." 

Sora gave the stranger a dry look, glancing at the gloved hand before his tired blue eyes gazed back up into aquamarine. “Yeah…I’m just…Just a headache.” Sora mumbled in dismissal, managing to push himself onto his shaky feet with the help of the silver haired teen.

The taller boy stared sternly at the younger before closing his eyes with a sigh. "I don’t believe that for one second but whatever," he said before helping the young boy up. He heard a voice in the distance calling for someone.

"Sora!" Eren called as he exited the store, not seeing the boy just a few blocks down the road. At the call of his name, he muttered something that sounded like “About damn time” before looking back at the boy.

"I’ll catch ya later. Try not to run into any more bullies, alright Sora?" The taller boy ran off, leaving Sora leaning against the brick wall.

“Yeah…” He said, watching him run down the road. “Bye.” He winced at a sharp pain in his head, rubbing the spot between his eyes before walking off to his caretaker. "Sorry," he said with a small smile, looking up at the worried man. "I ran off—sorry."

Eren glanced at the boy, looking him up and down and marking all the dirt on him. “You know, The Corporal will not be happy with the condition of your clothes,” he noted. He saw the younger look away at the comment but left it at that as he hung the bag in the crook of his arm. He decided not to leave Sora again until they reached head quarters. He noticed Sora’s hand on his head and knew something was up.

"Huh? Yeah I uh…" He grimaced, looking away. "I just fell running back here." Was the lame response he gave, his left hand still absentmindedly rubbing at his aching temple.

Ruffling the small boy’s hair gently, he said, “You look tired, you want me to carry you? No one’s around anyways.” 

_ You’re my best friend, Sora…_

He flinched at the faint voice, before glancing up at Eren as he spoke. “What? N-no…I’m not a little kid anymore, Eren.” He grumbled, a small blush coating his cheeks.

Eren chuckled and smiled down at him before looking towards the sky, the sun’s many luminous arms receding over the wall. “It’s getting late, I’m sure Corporal Levi will want us back before it gets dark, so let’s hurry, alright?”

“I guess,” Sora responded trying to at least wipe the despairing look off his face. “Wouldn’t want him to come yelling at us with his thumb up his ass.” He grumbled before walking off in the direction towards his home.  

As they went to leave, Eren looked back over his shoulder into the darkness of the alleyway and saw a young boy with silver hair and bright aquamarine eyes watching them. He nodded once at the boy in thanks for protecting Sora, knowing he’d been attacked, and the shadowed figure melted into the darkness and disappeared. Eren had a passing thought that he wouldn’t see the last of that child as he walked out of the city with Sora and back to the castle they called home.


	6. Side Chapter (Before 7 year jump)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Side chapter with a little Ereri for you guys ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I said I'd (mostly) make up for my short chapters, didn't I?
> 
> So I made this side chapter a while ago but I kind of forgot about it until after I posted the chapters after the 7 year time jump. This chapter is before the 7 year jump so I hope I don't confuse anyone!!

He could see it, all of it. Those giant creatures gripping his parents in their big, meaty hands. He could hear their screams, see the terror on their faces. Waking up with a gasp, he gripped the bedsheet tightly, tears in his eyes before he threw the covers off of him, scrambling to Eren's bedside. He poked and prodded at the man, sniffling.  

Eren was sound asleep, his dreams empty and black as he drifted listlessly. He was weightless. However, he was suddenly wrenched from his sleep by something bothering him in the awake world. He tried to ignore it and go back to sleep but the annoyance persisted. He opened his eyes, turning to see the small Sora standing by his bedside. "Sora..? What is it?" He asked tiredly.

"I-I had a bad dream... Can I sleep here with you?"  

Eren's eyes widened before he stammered a reply, "Y-Yeah, sure Sora." He moved over towards the wall as the small child quickly climbed into his bed. He almost laughed as he tried to scramble under the covers and Eren pulled them over him before laying back down. He yawned and gave Sora his pillow, curling his arm backwards underneath his head. He looked at the tyke next to him, hiding underneath his covers. Had he looked like this when he had bad dreams? 

Sora scurried into the older man's bed, hiding against his side while the man pulled the covers over them. He gave a sniffle, wiping at his watery eyes before he nestled against Eren's chest. 

"Eren?" He mumbled quietly, tugging the covers down to look up at the others green eyes. 

"Y-Yeah?" he replied, unsure of what the tearful child was going to ask of him. He still wasn't very good with kids and hoped this wouldn't be too difficult to handle. Another look at Sora's cerulean eyes and his heart seemed to crack. What the hell? He'd never felt that before. "What is it?" 

He gave a small smile, pressing close to the older boy. "I'm glad you saved me." He said quietly. "N-not because I didn't die, but... I really like you. You're like a big brother!" He blurted, looking back up at him. "A-And I don't want you to leave... L-Like my mom and dad..." 

Eren wasn't expecting that. But damn, this kid was just... too cute. He looked into those full, blue eyes and knew he was growing attached to this kid. He sighed inwardly; a kid like this wasn't going to last very long in this world. He smiled at Sora, "Yeah kid, I won't leave." He ruffled the small one's hair, "Now go to sleep." Sora beamed up at the other, before nodding his head.

"Okay," he said lightly before he nudged his pillow towards the other. "We can share it," he said lightly, laying down. "My head is littler than yours, so you can have most of it." 

Eren chuckled, pushing the pillow back to him, "Nah, hero's don't need pillows." He winked at the small one, laying back down on his arm, wrapping the other around Sora's small body. 

"...One day I won't need it then." He retorted lightly, before he nestled against it. His eyes slid shut and his breathing evened out before he fell asleep in the others warm embrace. 

Eren watched the kid after he had fallen asleep, his small body lifting and falling with each small breath. He narrowed his eyes tiredly, this kid had been through a lot. How could he still be so cheerful? He rested his chin on the small one's head before letting his eyes fall closed as he drifted back to sleep.

 

-x-

 

Eren was sound asleep, his dreams empty and black once more as he drifted listlessly. He was weightless again. Suddenly, a small light shone above him and he opened his eyes. The light was small, but very strong and bright. He opened his eyes wider and reached his hand up towards it. He closed his fingers around it and it's warmth flooded over him. He woke up to find his hand intertwined with the small child's next to him, his large fingers closed lightly over the smaller hand. He blinked before he smiled as morning light streamed in through the window. The soundless child was so cute, Eren couldn't help but give a slight chuckle at his beachhead, which made his spiky hair even messier. 

Feeling eyes on him, the younger gave a light mumble before he shifted onto his back, stretching his arms and legs before he gave a small yawn. He turned blurry eyes to look up at Eren before he gave a sleepy smile. "G'morning..." He mumbled before pushing himself to sit up and look around. "Is... is it morning already?" 

Eren smiled, "Yeah it is," He pushed himself up and slid out of the bed, pulling his uniform back on. The straps always gave him a hard time in the mornings as he fumbled with the cold metal before finally strapping himself up.

"Mm... I wanna sleep more," the younger boy whined before sitting up tiredly on the edge of the bed.

Eren pulled out a brush from his drawer, since a comb could never get through his shaggy brown hair, and attempted to tame his head. When he was done, he walked over to Sora and started brushing his hair, only for it to pop back up to his usual spikes. 

Sora watched the boy dress and ready himself for the day while he was slowly starting to nod off. Feeling a brush against his head, he glanced up lazil at the other.

"It's no use." He commented lightly, wincing as he continued. Eren sighed and placed the brush down, helping Sora back into his normal clothes. They were slightly stained with mud and grass marks they hadn't been able to get off.

"I think you need some new clothes, kiddo. These are just too trashed," he mumbled as he slid the shirt over Sora's head. He finished by clicking the chain around Sora's neck. 

"I don't have any munny though," Sora said, frowning up at the other as he lifted his arms up. "I mean...This is all I have." He winced at the feeling of his cold, metal necklace hitting his warm skin before he tugged the shirt down, pulling the necklace out to sit above his shirt. 

 _‘Munny'?_ Eren thought quizzically to himself. "Well, I'm sure we could go into town again and find something for you to wear. The only clothes I have with me are mine from when I was ten, but you're not that big yet." 

"But I'll grow into them!" Sora gushed, looking up at the other as he finished dressing the younger boy.

"Yeah well, until then, let's get you something a little more your size," he responded with a smile.  _Damn, I'm getting soft,_  he thought to himself as he eyed the small child walking happily beside him. Eren opened the door and looked back at Sora. "Come on, I don't have anything to do today, I don't think, so we can go after breakfast. I have my military salary so money shouldn't be a problem." He smiled as he waited for Sora. 

Shifting and jumping off the high bed, Sora scurried after the boy, a hand gripping his as he walked beside Eren. "Okay!"  

Sora gave a little nod, smiling up at the older boy. He gripped his hand tightly, toddling beside the other as he followed Eren to the kitchen. He stumbled a few times, children being naturally klutzy. He squeaked as he gripped the others leg as he tripped before he continued on beside him. They reached the dining hall and walked over to the table where Mikasa and Armin where sitting. Armin yawned loudly, covering his mouth with his hand before he saw Eren enter with the small child. He waved them over with a smile and Eren placed Sora in the chair next to him. The small boy gave a sound as Eren set him in his chair, smiling up at the brunette. He waved at the others, sitting on his knees as he bounced on his legs some. Levi walked in and came over to the table, taking a seat across from Mikasa, much to her disgust.

"Oi, Eren," he said, grabbing the younger male's attention, his hard eyes threatening to burn holes through his clothes, "You're gunna clean the second floor today with everyone else, so don't go anywhere." 

"B-But corporal-!" Eren started to reply before he was rudely cut off.

"No! Not another word. That's your job today," He sipped the tea he had brought with him from the kitchen and leaned over the back of his chair. Eren furrowed his brows and looked down at the floor before his eyes widened at an idea. His lips pulled into a smirk. 

"But, Corporal," Eren said, "This poor boy has only one set of clothes! and look how _stained_ and _filthy_  they are. Clearly unhygienic and _unclean_ , don't you think, Corporal?" Levi's eyebrow twitched and his gaze shifted to the small boy, looking over the stains on the clothes he'd worn since yesterday. "Don't you think, maybe, he needs new clothes? I was planning on going to get him some, wouldn't that be nice, Corporal?" He walked over behind Levi's chair and bent down to whisper in his ear, "I could get some of _that_ , too, while im there." 

Levi almost bit through his cup at the comment no one else had heard before he calmly put down the drink, taking a deep breath, "Fine. You may go to get the new brat some clothes. But when tomorrow, you're to clean the second floor and the stables, understood?" He looked back at Eren coldly, who hung his head in somewhat defeat. 

"Yes, sir..." He replied. He sighed again and started towards the kitchen. Levi stealthily patted his butt on the way by, causing Eren to jump and look back at the corporal with flushed cheeks. 

"What is it, Eren?" Mikasa asked as she saw Eren's sudden movement. 

Eren turned his gaze towards her before waving a hand and continuing towards the kitchen, "Nothing, I just tripped." He hurried to the kitchen before Mikasa could question further and brought back some food for himself and Sora, seating himself adjacent to Armin. He placed the food in front of the tyke before digging into his own. 

Sora saw, however. As much of a space cadet as he was, he always saw things. He narrowed his eyes, lips pursed before he looked back at his new caretaker. 

"Why'd he do that?" He asked Eren as he set a bowl in front of him, looking at him in confusion as he looked at his food. He began to eagerly eat, more food ending up on his face and hands than in his mouth. 

"D-Do what?!" Eren stammered back. 

“Touch your butt.” 

“Who did?” 

“The scary man!” 

Levi’s eyebrow twitched at the comment and he glanced at the small boy over the lip of his cup. 

“Aha, I think you’re imagining things!” Eren replied quickly before grabbing his napkin, "Look at you! It’s like you ran over a cart full of food!" He started cleaning Sora up, finally finishing before he was done eating and stopped him. "Honestly, did you ever learn how to use utensils? Here." He placed the spoon in Sora's hand, folding his hand over the spoon the correct way. "This is how you hold it, just like this. Now, you scoop with the spoon, like so," Eren demonstrated the motion with his own, making sure Sora was doing it right. Sora made a face, knowing the other was lying. He'd question him about it sooner or later. Shifting, he looked at the other nervously as his messy eating habits. It was even worse with everyone snickering.

"B-but it's hard..." He whined quietly, looking down at the utensil with a huff. 

"It'll be harder when you're older and still cant use a spoon like everyone else." Eren replied with a huff of his own, "plus, you'll get more food in your mouth than on your face." He pointed to his mouth in direction, before glaring at Jean and Christa who were chuckling to themselves, shutting them up. They flinched and looked away awkwardly before continuing their own meals. Soon, Armin joined Eren in helping Sora learn how to use his utensils for over an hour. Sora struggled with the utensils and found himself just about to cry in frustration before armin joined in to help. By the end, he had somewhat grasped it. 

Eren leaned back in his chair and sighed, taking a break from teaching Sora how to use utensils. Armin and the others had left, leaving Eren alone with the small boy at the table. "Well, let's go check out the market and see what kind of clothes we cant find for you, kid." He stood up, pushing the chair back from the cheap oaken table. Sora nodded as he wiped his face before turning to the other. He lifted his hands for the other to pick him up. Eren picked up the smaller and placed him on his hip, picking up the dirty dishes with the other and bringing them to the kitchen to be washed later. Once in his arms, Sora nestled against his chest, smiling as he was carried away 

"Well Sora, let's go get you some new clothes." Eren smiled at the boy. 

“Okay..." Sora said, looking up at Eren with a little smile. At least it was better than the blank look in his arms yesterday.

 

-x-

 

Eren clutched the heavy paper bags filled with Sora's new clothes (and other various assortments that Sora's begging and whining had forced Eren to purchase). He held the young boy on his hip in his other arm, struggling down the hallway. He had finally made it back to the castle earlier, struggling with the weight because Levi had refused to give him a horse. Sora watched Eren carry him off with a raised brow, tilting his head.

"You can put me down you know..." Sora murmured, leaning against his shoulders. "That looks heavy..." He was starting to regret making him buy so much.  Eren reached his room, plopping the bag on the bed and putting Sora down gently before collapsing onto the floor on his butt, breathing labored breaths and wiping sweat from his brow. 

Once set down, Sora blinked as he saw the taller boy fall down onto his rear. "Eren?" 

"Im fine kid," he huffed and took another moment to catch his breath. He pushed himself back to his feet and grabbed something out of one of the bags and tucked it into his jacket before Sora could see. "Hey, why don't you take a nap, Sora? You look pretty tired." He put the bags on the floor and pulled back the sheets so the toddler could clamber in. 

Sora looked up at the other as he took off his shoes and tucked him into bed. "Okay..." He said warily, climbing in. "Hey, Eren?" He asked softy, looking up at his new caretaker. 

Eren pulled the covers over Sora's body and looked down into his oceanic orbs. "What is it, Sora?" 

He paused, looking down at his lap. "Can you...um..." He laid down, pulling the blanket up. "Never mind." 

Eren blinked in confusion before sitting back down on the bed, pulling the covers back from Sora's face, “Come on, what could it possibly be?” 

He was curled in a ball, eyes screwed shut. "I'm tired...can I sleep?" He mumbled quietly, tugging the covers up. 

"Sure Sora," he sat back against the bed, bracing his back against the wall, "I'll wait here till you fall asleep." Not that he really wanted to but he could tell the child didn't want to be alone and fall asleep 

He seemed to relax some, giving a soft thankful sigh before he nestled against the pillow and slowly fell asleep. Sora snored softly as eren snuck off the bed and out the room to wherever it was he was going. He shifted in his sleep, whimpering so often at his nightmares. He gripped the bedsheets, eyes watering. 

He woke up with a gasp, eyes leaking with tears as he trembled. It was even worse with his need to use the bathroom. He shifted onto his knees, climbing off the bed. Where was Eren? He needed to pee! He sniffled as he waddled through the hallways, a hand pulling his shirt down nervously as he peered into each rooms.

 

-x-

 

Eren waited until the tyke had fallen asleep before carefully pushing himself off the bed, grabbing a large object from one of the bags and hid it in his jacket before walking down to the kitchen. He spotted Levi lounging at the table and knew the others were off cleaning. He had to be quick. He trotted over to the table, stopping across from the corporal who pulled his cup away from his lips as he approached. 

"Oh, you're back. Took fucking forever," he said as he eyed Eren. Eren grinned sheepishly before sliding the object he had in his jacket out, slamming it onto the table. The bottle of electric blue liquid sparkled in the light and Levi's eyes widened in awe. 

"Special! _Deluxe_ Windex!" Eren said in pride at the find, "Got the last one, too." 

"Corporal?” Eren said at the corporal's silence, his black bangs shading his eyes. He suddenly got up and leaned halfway over the table, grabbing Eren's jacket and pulling him forward. "C-Corp-!" He was cut off by Levi's lips on his. The kiss was filled with restrained passion and Eren immediately knew Levi was greatful. His face broke into a smile as they broke off and Levi raised a brow at him. 

"What are you smiling at, stupid kid?" He asked. 

"Oh, nothing," Eren replied, waving a hand in dismissal before leaning over for another kiss which the corporal gladly gave him. The shorter man broke off the kiss and guided the brunette out of the kitchen back up the stairs, softly tossing him onto the perfectly-made bed. Levi straddled the younger boy, lips dancing over each other in a soft and elegant fashion. 

"L-Levi" Eren purred as the corporal's tongue laced across his chest. The smaller held the brunette's shirt up, exposing the sweet, muscular abdomen that Eren had trained so hard for. "Levi" He purred again. _Ah,_ Levi though, _that sweet voice of Eren's is always music to my ears, be it in sex or punishment._ He continued down his skin, pecking little kisses every few inches, reaching the buckle of his pants. His fingers crawled over Eren's crotch, who flinched and his face flushed a deep pink. Levi's lips twitched into a smirk as he unbuckled the boy's pants. 

Sora blinked at the sounds of Eren’s voice, following it down to where he assumed it was. Pushing the door open quietly, sora states in confusion at the two tangled in some...strange position. Why was the scary man touching Erens wee wee? And even worse why did this all look familiar...? 

"...I saw my mama and papa do that once." Came the little voice. 

The two froze at the sound of the door opening, Eren looking over Levi's head to see Sora peeking in through the door. At the boy's words his face deepened in color and he frantically waved his hands, "S-S-S-Sora! Th-This isn't what it looks like, I swear!" 

Eren was fumbling again, like when Sora saw Levi touch his butt earlier. He blinked large blue eyes in discomfort, shifting on his legs, which were squeezed together. It was also apparent he had been crying, his eyes still shiny and red-tinged.

Eren felt a hand tighten slightly, almost painfully, around his dick and he looked down at his partner. "L-Levi…?" The corporal lifted his head slightly in response before turning around slowly to give a hard death-glare at the child for interrupting his limited pleasure time with Eren, who had been with the small boy every second since he had arrived. 

Sora looked at Levi and at the sight of the terrifying glare sora felt his eyes water and his bladder release. Why was he suddenly wet? Oh god, he felt so embarrassed. His lip quivered and he cried, hiccupping weakly as he rubbed at his wet eyes. He was such a..a baby! A crybaby! He sniffled, hearing Riku’s taunting words. He hasn't meant them before, but... Riku... he missed his best friend. He only cried harder then. 

Eren's face shifted from fluster to horror as he saw the dark mark spread wider on Sora's pants and he face-palmed, "No way..." Levi's brow twitched in annoyance and disgust and he gave Eren's dick a lick before releasing him. "Go clean up the kid," he said before shifting over to his ear and whispering, "We can finish this later, damn brat." He pecked his lips before tossing him onto the floor. 

"Fuck! That hurt!" Eren cried as he landed face-first on the floor. He fumbled with his pants, tucking his still-erected cock back in before grabbing Sora's hand. "Come on Sora, let's get you cleaned up." 

Sora looked up at Eren, quivering as he was approached. He took his hand with his smaller one, whimpering as he waddled after him. Eren brought Sora to the bathroom down the hall. He filled the bathtub with warm water and placed him in it after taking off his dirty clothes. 

"Wait here, Sora. I'll go get some of your new clothes." Sora hiccupped quietly as the other spoke, nodding through his humiliation. He pulled his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around them as he waited in the water. Eren dashed back to the room and returned with a clean pair of underwear and shorts. 

Eren cleaned Sora up, in the process also teaching him how to bathe himself. Sora bit his lip as he paid attention quietly, shifting on his bottom before he was lifted up. The brunette picked the young one out of the water and dried him off, helping him into the clean clothes he had brought. He then picked the small child up, wiping a hand across Sora's eyes to remove the tears that still lingered there. He placed the child on his hip and smiled at him before walking back to their room. 

"I'm sleepy..." The boy yawned, looking up at the other. Eren gave the kid a pat on the head, tucking him in. "Eren... night night." Sora murmured quietly, tiny fingers gripping the others larger finger. 

“Goodnight, Sora,” The older mumbled, a small smile crawling onto his lips but the other was already fast asleep. _Damn, the kid was really growing onto me._  

Not soon after the boy had fallen asleep, Eren found himself walking down the halls to the room of the Corporal. He knocked twice, pausing. "Corporal?" 

The older man whipped open the door and grabbed the collar of the younger before throwing him onto the floor, closing the door after him. The younger gave a startled yelp as he was suddenly pulled in. 

"You cause too many damn distractions, damn brat," he murmured threateningly. "You need to be punished." He reflected his annoyance in the glare he threw at Eren on the floor, eyebrows furrowed in malcontent. Eren looked up at the other, green eyes startled by the harsh glare. 

"I-I’m sorry!" he sputtered in surprise before he looked about the inhumanly clean room. He looked back at the man, lips parted. "Well, Corporal..." He muttered, pushing himself onto his knees. "I should make up for it, right?" A cocky half-grin split his lips apart. Levi's eyebrow twitched at the smirk the brat put on and he grabbed his jacket again and threw him on the bed. Eren gave a low yip, amazed by he smaller mans strength. Levi was over him in a second, hovering like a vulture over a piece of road-kill. 

"Don't get too cocky, brat, or you'll get fucked." His eyes glared daggers into the younger before he forced his lips onto Eren's, closing his hard eyes to the softness of Eren's lips which, he hated to admit to himself, were one of his best qualities. 

"Isn't that the point?" The brunette muttered before he was silenced, hands coming to slide over Levi's shoulders. Eren gave a low moan against his lips, nipping lightly. 

The corporal wove a hand through Eren's shaggy hair and let the other trail down his shirt. He lifted the soft beige fabric up, exposing the boy's toned flesh. He trailed fingers across him as his lips slid down to the brunette's neck, his tongue dancing across the skin in a duet with his lips. 

As their lips disconnected, soft moans left his lips, feeling the corporals lips grace his neck, while his hand rubbed at his skin beneath his shirt. "Levi… Levi..." Eren moaned, gripping his dark beige jacket. 

Eren's voice was like a sweet drug injected into the Corporal's body and he descended further down the muscular form beneath him. He unbuckled the boy's pants, sliding them down past his knees and off. His boots were still next to the bed from their earlier session. 

Eren gave a soft mewl as he was undressed, gripping the bedsheets as he spread his legs for the man. Eren’s lower half now lay completely exposed before him, but not yet completely ready. Levi curled his fingers around Eren's member and glided them in a repetitive motion across the soft skin until it hardened. 

“L-Levi…” he looked down at the man as he stroked his length, eyebrows furrowed before he bucked his hips in pleasure. "You're taking your time," He murmured hesitantly, watching him. 

"I said you needed to be punished, didn't I?" The older grumbled back. Eren looked up at the other, eyes hazy from the 'punishment.'  "Now shut up," he suddenly engulfed Eren's entire dick into his mouth only to release it completely again. The brunette parted his lips to speak before he cried out as he took him whole, hips jerking in surprise.

“L-Levi… Aa-aah!” he cried out, a hand gripping the others hair. When he felt the other let go he opened his eyes in surprise, blinking at the sight of the man hovering above him. "I-I..." He looked up at the man, cheeks flushed. There wasn't anything he could say that wouldn't get his ass kicked, really. 

Levi shifted back up to Eren's face, closing the gap so they were only a centimeter apart. "Is this all you expected the Recon Corps to be? The famed man who fights as if he's an entire army, turning out to be a violent ass-fucker for freaks. Not in the job description, I take it?" All the while, he was unbuckling his own pants, but only enough for his cock to free itself from their hold. Levi's eyes gazed down into Eren's before he locked their lips together again, sliding his tongue inside the younger's mouth. He kissed back eagerly, accepting the foreign tongue as he swirled it with his own.

 

-x-

 

Eren sighed in his sleep, curling into the warmth beside him that was Levi. He ached in places he normally wouldn’t, but it was a pleasant, satisfying ache. The older man grunted softly and slid out of the covers messily strewn across them, picking up his clothes that lay untidily on the floor. Eren made a noise that illustrated his complaint and snuggled further under the covers. Levi wiped the covers off of the boy and threw his own clothes at him. 

“Ah! Hey!” He said in surprise but Levi was already dressed and walking out the door, leaving Eren to grumble to himself as he put his clothes on. After he was dressed, he walked out of the room, closing the door behind him and headed down the hall to his own room. He poked his head in to see the small form on the bed quietly still sound asleep. The small mound of blankets mostly kicked off and Sora lying flat on his back, stretched out with one hand making his shirt ride up, exposing his soft tummy. Eren couldn’t help but smile slightly at the sight and he pulled the covers back over the small child. 

“Thanks Daddy…” Sora murmured in his sleep. Eren’s breath caught in his chest before looking down at the child now curled up in the blankets and sighed. 

“Not by a long shot.”


	7. Family Heirloom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The night before Sora's birthday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little Eren and Sora bonding with a fluffy scene towards the end. I felt it was necessary.

Eren and Sora returned from their trip to the market and tried to hurry upstairs before Levi saw them but it was too late. He greeted them at the door and scowled at Sora’s clothes, cursing them out left and right before letting them pass so Sora could go change. Eren stayed behind as he watched the younger trot up the stairs.

Sora stood firm against the yelling, eyes distant as he gazed straight through the taller man. He seemed to be in another world mentally, as if he was…dreaming, or sleep walking. It was strange to see him in such a state, then again…Sora had once been such a happy child. He would smile and giggle and laugh…why had he changed?

Once dismissed he walked past Levi and Eren, making his way up the stairs silently. His bags were in his hands, nearly dragging across the floor in his state. Nudging the door open, he dropped all the clothing onto his bed, scratching his neck. A sigh left him as he began to undress and change into his newer clothes, not wanting to be bitched at yet again. 

What day was it again? He rubbed at his eyes before tugging his cloak back on, frowning. “Tomorrow’s my birthday…” He mumbled, biting his lip. Right. He had forgotten… He was twelve tomorrow, the minimal age to start apply for the military… He had been barking about joining the survey corps since he was five, maybe six? Now… what would he do?

Sora sighed, shrugging his clothes aside. He decided on skipping dinner that night, wanting to just stay in his room. Pulling up a chair, he sat by the window and peered out, leaning against his palm. Memories played back before his hazy eyes, showing him everything he could remember.

Blond hair and a gentle smile… Green eyes, and… children’s laughter. There was… sunshine and a beach, maybe. Sora squeezed his eyes shut, head throbbing at the memories. It hurt to think about it, as if something was blocking him out from his own past.

-x-

"If everything ready to put together tomorrow?" Eren asked the corporal in a hushed voice.

"Yeah, everything’s ready. You better make sure that kid has a good time, you shitty brat," Levi replied with his usual scowl. Eren winced playfully at his words.

"Corporal, I’m almost twenty-one years old now. You gunna call me a that forever?" He said with mock annoyance.

The corporal’s scowl only deepened, but in a way that Eren knew he was just messing with him, “I’ll call you a shitty brat if I want, you shitty brat. Now clean up the kitchen before you go to bed.” He walked off, his two-inch heeled boots clicking across the floor with his stride making Eren chuckle quietly to himself before heading to the kitchen.

-x-

It was late when Eren finished cleaning the kitchen, the sky outside the thick castle windows had fallen to a deep black with a cloudless ceiling littered with stars. Everyone else had gone to bed and Eren sighed - no sleeping with the captain tonight. He quietly put the last dish in the drying rack and dried his hands on a soft towel, rubbing down the counters before he made his way to the dormitories.

He tiptoed down the hall, creeping past the many doors before he came to Sora’s, the only one with it’s light still on. He peeked his head in, opening the cheap wooden door just enough so he could see into the rather empty room.

"Hey, Sora, you awake?" He spoke into the room quietly. The new voice thrusted Sora back into reality, the younger jumping in his seat as he looked up at the elder. 

“Oh! Uh…yeah.” He gave a tired smile, before shifting to stand up, clad in his night clothes. An old shirt of Eren’s and a pair of boxer shorts. Very stylish. He glanced at the window and noted how dark it was outside. Had he really been sitting in that chair for several hours? It felt like only minutes had gone by. 

Eren looked over Sora quickly, noting that his old shirt hardly fit on the younger, hanging in loose waves past his waist. Eren gave him a smile, “Thanks for coming with me on my errands. I have some more to do tomorrow and I need your help.” His smile turned sheepish with the request before he noticed the bags under the child’s eye and his smile faded to a worried frown.

"Hey, you look really tired. Are you okay? Getting enough sleep?"

“Yes.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes Eren.”

“I mean, I know we had a long day and all and Corporal Levi was yelling at us like a total-“

“YES, Eren, I’m FINE.” Sora replied, his voice tinged in agitation and exhaustion.

Eren couldn’t help but have worry bubble up since he considered Sora like his own son. He’d been taking care of him for five years, spending almost every day with him. He almost couldn’t imagine his life without the boy. Even though the brunette’s smile had faded quickly after they had found him, Eren always tried his best to bring it out whenever he could. Seeing Sora like this - more exhausted and sad than usual, despite his forced happiness - always worried him.

He entered the room and quietly closed the door behind him, taking a seat on the end of Sora’s bed. “Come over here, Sora,” he said latently as he leaned back against the wall next to the bed. Sora narrowed his eyes but pushed himself off of the wall he wasleaning up against and wandered over to the bed, taking a seat beside his caretaker. 

Eren put an arm around the younger and rubbed his shoulder affectionately, being careful of the bruises he thought might be there. The candles in the room gave little light but it was enough to see.  Sora glanced up at the older male, rather confused by the sudden affection. What was going on? Eren was never one to pull…these sorts of things, not often anyways, maybe once or twice in a blue moon, if Sora was lucky. 

"Twelve years old, huh? Man, time sure flies," Eren said almost to himself as he gazed into space.

"Yeah…" The boy mumbled, rubbing his temple as he tried to remember. There wasn’t much he could piece together, just blurred images and muffled sounds.

"I remember when you were ‘this’ big!" Eren exclaimed jokingly as he almost pinched his fingers together, looking through them at the brunette and laughing.

"I wasn’t that small." he huffed, nose in the air. "You’re mistaking me for Levi." 

Eren smiled sheepishly and laughed at the young boy’s comment. Looking down at Sora, he realized how much he’d grown in the short span of five years and smiled. His hair had grown longer, the spikes sticking out farther from his head and although his skin was lighter than it had been when he’d first come, he skin was still dark enough that it made his azure eyes seem luminous by comparison.

Sora glanced up with aged eyes, blinking in confusion. What was the other looking at him so… strangely for? It felt weird, like he was looking at Sora for the last time. 

“…You’re worrying me.” The brunet said after a while, arms crossed over his slim chest. “What’s this all about? You’re not planning something stupid are you? I really don’t want to worry about your dumb ass.” 

"Sora," Eren said, "Close your eyes for a sec. Haha just do it!" He chuckled at the younger’s suspicious glare.

He blinked at his words, eyes narrowing before he closed them. “fine.” He grumbled out, leaning back against the wall as the other did whatever it was he was planning to do. Jeez, after five years of seeing him every day and Sora still saw Eren as an…enigma of sorts, even when the man wore his heart on his sleeve, per say.

When his eyes were closed, Eren reached behind his neck and carefully slipped off the key he had always worn since his father had given it to him twelve years ago. He peered into the boy’s face to make sure he wasn’t peeking before he slipped the necklace over Sora’s mocha-colored spikes. "I think you’ve grown up a lot since you came here and I know you’re gunna want to join the military right?" He grinned but his lips were lined with concern, "I wont be able to see you very often so think of this as a reminder of me and a good luck charm!"

“Yeah…” He muttered, before he blinked his eyes open and looked down. “Wha—I can’t take this!” Sora looked up at the other in shock. “This was your dads, right? I can’t accept it!” 

"Well you better accept it!" He said sternly before laughing. This kid always made him so unnaturally happy, but never in a bad way. Like a warm light was washing over him every time he looked into those deep blue eyes. He took a breath and looked into the younger’s eyes before continuing. "I’m giving it to you because I trust you, Sora. It’s basically useless until we can reclaim my hometown and get to the basement under my house."

He stopped for a moment, turning to look out the window behind them as memories of his early childhood filled his mind for a moment. “I had this key when I joined the army and it always served as a reminder to why I was doing it all.” He turned to the young boy and gazed deeply into his cerulean orbs. “Now I want to give it to you so you always know that I’m with you.” He winked at him before ruffling Sora’s messy head again, which quickly sprung back into place. 

He ­stood up from the bed and walked towards the door, the heels on his long, leather boots clicking across the stone tiles. He paused a moment in the doorway before looking back at the younger, the cerulean orbs constantly pulling at his attention, drawing him in like they had their own gravitational field. 

Sora watched the back of the retreating man with a small, hidden smile. It quickly disappeared as the older man’s attention was once again on the young, guarded boy. Oceanic eyes fixated on emerald green in wonder and worry, a frown replacing the hidden smile as Sora watched Eren silently. His speech had left Sora very concerned, especially with all the idiotic tendencies the older had developed over the years. And when he said idiotic, he really meant idiotic. At least Eren had Mikasa and Armin to keep him in line, Sora shook his head at the thought. He didn't want anymore headaches that night. 

The Brunette smiled, "Good night, Sora, I'll see you tomorrow morning. Try and get some sleep, huh?" 

"Yeah, I'll try." He grumbled, pulling his legs closer. Tomorrow would be his birthday, making his years closer to death and days closer to his joining of the survey corps. 

Eren looked over at the candle glowing luminously on the desk, the only source of light in the room, now that the sun had fallen deep behind the wall. It's small flame flickered, casting shadows from even the smallest things. "Do you want me to blow the candle out?" 

"Yeah, sure." He nodded a little before moving to pull his covers back. "Hey Eren?" He said, just before the elder left. "...Please don't do anything stupid, okay?" The brunet murmured quietly, much like he would when he was younger. He looked like an injured puppy, gazing at Eren with his big eyes. "Please? I still really need your stupid ass around." 

Surprise washed over the older's face before it broke into a grin as he chuckled, "Yeah, I'll try not to do anything stupid, Sora." His eyes drawn back into the deep blues of the younger brunette, where they locked for a moment in silence. The expression on the younger's face made him feel like he'd just been bitten by a dozen titans. The corners of his lips flickered but he forced them to stay in a smile. 

"Is something wrong, Sora?" He asked as he continued to linger in the doorway, unsure of whether to leave the boy alone when Sora was giving him clear signals to leave or to stay like the father he felt like and try to help him. He watched the boy's expression, focused on the way his eyes moved and how he fidgeted when he was nervous or worried about something. 

Sora looked away before looking back at his caretaker nervously. "Well I..." He sighed, shifting. "I've been trying to remember things... and today while you were doing your last errend, I got attacked with... those boys and this kid helped me." He mumbled quietly. "And I... I dunno, had a breakdown, sort of." He rubbed his head in irritation. "He was so familiar, like I've seen him before... I could hear his voice in my head, calling my name and laughing but... it sounded so far away." His voice was trailing off. "I don't know who he is or who he was to me but...I don't know, maybe I knew him once." 

But it doesn't make sense... my island - they're supposed to be dead. So how could I possibly know this guy?" He looked up at the other for help. "I see so many people that look so familiar and I... it really hurts my head."

Eren shifted his eyes to the floor for a moment before looking back at the flame. Slightly lower now, ever feeding off the wick and it's waxy temple; he pondered for a moment. 

"You know," he started, "Armin's got this crazy idea that there might actually be somewhere besides the walls where there aren't any titans. Other... worlds, I think he called it? Where titans don't even exist. Where people have never been or seen others... eaten." He looked back to Sora's oceanic crystals, "He says that there are pathways between those worlds and that it could be possible for people, or even children, to find their way to other worlds." 

He looked away from Sora's gaze because he knew he was getting the boy's hopes up. "My father used to tell me, when I was young and I had seen someone I thought I knew but couldn't remember, that maybe it was somebody my reflection knew." 

"Other worlds?" Sora was silent, soaking in the information before another memory hit him, and hit him hard. 

 _ "Other worlds, papa?" Came his small, childish voice. He could hear a deep chuckle, and saw gentle eyes gazing down at him, a smile on the mans lips._ __

_ "Yes, Sora. Our universe is very large, housing thousands of wonderous worlds."_ __

_ "Wow, papa! That's so cool! I wanna see them all!"_ __

A laugh could be heard echoing in the back of his mind as he came back to reality, breaths coming in shaky gasps and eyes wide as sweet poured down his pale skin. He was shaking, hands gripping his bed-sheets as he blinked hazy eyes. 

A hand cradled his throbbing head as a groan left him. _Dammit, I need to stop getting those damn memories! They’re killing me!_  

Eren watched Sora go rigid and had to force himself not to rush to the boy's side, knowing from previous experiences that it would pass quickly. He grabbed a glass of water from the desk that Sora had gotten earlier and brought it over to the bed as Sora came out of the flashback. It had been a powerful one, it seemed, as the boy was panting and sweating. 

He placed the cup in the younger's hand, "Here, drink this." Eren sat next to him and rubbed his back, an action that had always seemed to comfort the boy no matter how rebellious he had gotten. 

The younger boy squeezed his eyes shut as he focused on forcing the headache away, before looking up at his father figure. Taking the glass of water, he took a few large gulps before placing the cup aside and shifting to childishly push himself into the others chest. He gripped the others jacket tightly, sniffling. 

"I hate this..." He whispered quietly, nuzzling closer to the adult. "I hate my memories...I don't want to remember them anymore--I hate remembering them. I hate... h-hearing voices in my head! I can't take it!" 

Eren moved his hand from Sora's back to his head, continuing the movement as the younger clung to him. He sighed quietly after the boy had finished and for a moment, they were both silent. The only noise was the wind howling and scraping against the castle walls outside. He gently pried Sora from his chest and picked his head up to look into the blue eyes he had grown to care so much for and knew that what he was about to say was going to hurt himself, a lot. 

"Sora, I don't know what world you were part of before, or what people you knew or places you'd been, but right now this is your home and we are your family. But... if you'd rather go back to the world you were once part of, the world you were born in, then I will do everything in my power to get you there." He smiled. 

 _Even if it means parting with you forever, I would gladly do it in a heartbeat to see you smile that gentle and loving smile again,_ he thought as he grabbed a few tissues from the bedside table. _All these years as your caretaker has made me soft,_ he thought with a silent chuckle.  

Sora looked up as the other nudged him away, a confused sparkle in his eyes. His eyes watered at the thought, before he grimaced. 

"I... I'd love to go back." He said quietly, looking down. "But I don't want to stay there, not forever. You're my family now, not them... I don't care if I die today or tomorrow - or if titans are never killed." His hands tightened at the thought. "I can't give up on you and the others. I don't know those people anymore, my old family. I barely remember them." He said quietly. "I don't even know my dads name, but..." He smiled shyly up at the other. "You're my dad now, sort of. You're my guardian, and all the others are my family and I don't want to let that go." He shook his head weakly, looking away. "But... I do want to meet them again." He muttered, "My old parents... I want to see something beyond those damned walls. I just - I wish we could all leave. Just abandon this place." 

At Sora's words, Eren's mind fled to the memory of a few days after he had joined the survey corps, when Corporal Levi had asked him out to the gardens to clean. They worked in silence for a majority of the time. 

 _ "Oi, Eren." The corporal's voice was beside him, low and harsh, a terrifying thing to Eren back when he had first joined._ __

_ Eren flinched, "Y-yes, Corporal?" He said as he continued scrubbing the sidewalk down._ __

_ "Do you want to leave?"_ __

_ Eren stopped scrubbing and looked at the shorter man, "E-Excuse me, sir?"_ __

_ "Do you want to leave this place -the military, the walls, the people - just abandon it all and flee to a place where titans don't exist and we can be free?" His steely eyes glanced sideways at Eren, his expression unchanged._ __

_"I could never leave my friends, sir, nor would I ever abandon my quest for revenge against those filthy, god-forsaken titans!" He clenched his teeth in a spit of anger. The corporal said nothing only went back to pulling weeds in the garden next to the sidewalk. Eren continued scrubbing, pausing only slightly when he thought he heard a very quiet "good answer" but shook the thought from his head._  

He blinked back to reality, Sora's gaze still upon him and he stopped patting his head but left his hand there. 

Sora looked up at the other as he dazed off, and a little frown grew nervously on his lips. Why was he doing that? --that look on his face...It reminded him of when he did it, lost in his thoughts. He leaned back against the wall, before looking back up at the other as he spoke once more. He finally managed to snap out of it, somehow atleast. He looked so distant...It was strange seeing Eren as nothing but angry or joking. It just wasn’t like him. 

Eren blinked the remaining fragments of the memory out of his mind, "We can never just abandon something without losing a part of ourselves, as well. That's why I fight to eradicate the titans, so that we don't have to abandon anything and can live in this world we were born in."  

“I guess...” Sora murmured, before moving to lay down. “Hey, I’m tired.” He huffed, nudging the other to move off his bed. “So go away!” He grumbled, lips pursed as he watched the other with his large eyes, which held a joking twinkle. Eren almost yelped as he was surprisingly pushed off the bed by the boy but he caught the joyful glint in his eyes as he stumbled. He quickly decided to go along with it and collapse on the floor in an overdramatic tumble. 

"Gah! You brute! Now I've fallen and I can't get up!" He Held the back of his hand to his forehead dramatically as he clutched his shirt with the other. He peeked out from under his arm at the boy. 

Sora looked down at him over his nose, a frown on his lips as the other looked up at him. The frown curled into a small smile, before he shook his head. 

“Okay...” He chuckled lightly, before he pulled the covers up to his chin. “Go away! Go do your...adult stuff.” He huffed, waving a hand playfully before turning his back to the other to feign his sleep, a smile on his face. 

Eren sighed but smiled. At least Sora had smiled even if he hadn't jumped on him like he would when he was younger. The boy certainly had a knack for leading him on and he chuckled to himself before he flipped over and rested his head on his hands, still in full uniform. He'd have to really wash it later or else the corporal would have his head. Which head, he wasn't sure, but it wouldn't be pretty either way. He lay there, on the floor, just letting his mind wander before he felt something heavy land on his back. 

Sora peeked over at Eren as he leaned on his elbows. He pursed his lips before quickly and quietly sliding off the bed and jumping onto the other, like he had when he was younger. 

"Oof! Holy shit..." Eren's voice came out strained as the pressure was on his upper back where his lungs were located. Sora grinned as the other yelped before he laughed lightly. Eren pretended to die, relaxing against the cold wooden floor, the polish starting to peel after many years of use. He extended his arms and laid his face against the ground, hiding the smile that forcefully stretched it's way across his lips as he heard the younger brunette laugh. He quickly turned over and grabbed the younger before he could fall and pressed him against his chest in a large hug. 

"Haha! Got you!" He cried cheerfully. Sora gave a loud squeal as he was grabbed, eyes wide as he looked down at the other before another bubble of childish delight overtook him. 

“Hehe,” he giggled lightly as the other held him and he smiled. “You’re squishing me!” He squeaked, grinning down at the other. 

"Well how bout this?" Eren said as he rolled over a few times before letting go of the boy and collapsing next to him as his own fit of laughter overtook him. He laughed until his ribs hurt ad his cheeks ached from smiling. This boy brought out the brightest in him and he could never figure out why but damn, he loved Sora. Loved him like his own son 

Sora let out a few screams for help, which all turned into fits of laughter as he wiggled in his arms. “You’re crushing me!” He squeaked, laughing as the other rolled them about. Shifting, he grinned as the next words slipped out without his thinking. “Dad--stop! That tickles!” 

"Aha! Well what about here?" Eren grinned as his fingers laced under sora's arms and started wriggling against the boy's sides as he chuckled. 

Sora blinked as the other shifted before he screamed with fits of laughter, kicking and punching the other as he was tickled. “Nooo! That tickles!” He exclaimed, wiggling before trying to catch his breath as the other finally let go of him. After a few sharp kicks to the gut by the smaller in his laughter, Eren stopped. Catching his breath as he crouched over the younger, he couldn't stop smiling. 

After a few moments to catch their breaths, Eren sat up and got to his feet. He ruffled Sora's hair, "Well, you should go to bed now, Sora. Got a lot of shopping to do." He smiled down at the boy as he picked him up and set him on his feet, before walking towards the door. 

Sora gave an indifferent huff as he managed to free himself from his captives tickling fingers, before yelping as he was placed on small feet. "Yeah yeah, I got it." He gave the other a small smile before he crawled back into bed. "Goodnight, dad." He mumbled, pulling the covers over his tired body. 

Eren turned his head, smiling at the small boy as he leaned down to blow out the candle. "Goodnight, son," he said softly as his breath forced out the flame, leaving the room in total blackness. Eren closed the door gently before a soft sigh trickled contently from his lips, relieved Sora had found his smile once more. 

Sora curled up under the covers, arms tight around the pillow held tightly against his chest. Tomorrow was his birthday... Just days away from being recruited into training. He was both afraid and excited for what was in store, but even so... his mind couldn't help but wander to the mysterious boy he had seen that morning. Who was he? Why did he look so familiar...? Had Sora known him before? In his world?


	8. Memories and Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren and Sora take a little detour to the Wall Memorial in the park and Sora finally gets his memories all the way back. It's also Sora's birthday!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so, uh, yeah, I'm writing this as I rp it with Alys-chan, haha. a little complaining here, a bit of mental breakdown there and some new friendships over there with a splash of heroic speech. I tried to be funny, i really did and I failed miserably, aha. Enjoy the super-extra-long chapter~!

Sunlight streamed in through Eren's window and he blinked his eyes open, still groggy from sleep. He stretched under his warm covers and folded them back in a neat triangle, a habit he had pick up from the corporal. He gave a yawn before heading over to his dresser and pulling out some of his more casual clothes, rather than his uniform. Today was his day off, as it was April 25th, Sora's birthday. After he was dressed, he tiptoed down the hall to Sora's room, peeking through the slightly cracked door into the space the young boy occupied.

Sora lay awake, staring quietly at the wall in thought. Today was a...difficult day of sorts. The marking of his 6th anniversary of losing everything. His friends, family...but also gaining new ones. A father figure who cared for him, friends that were more like siblings at times...It wasn't all bad, but he still wondered what his old family was like. He could barely remember the language they spoke in his native island, just tidbits of words that he could remember. He remembered how to say his name, and little things like 'hello' and 'good night', and especially 'I love you'.

"Hey Sora," Eren spoke quietly into the room, "Are you awake?"

The now 12 year old jumped in surprise before sitting up. "D-dad." He grumbled, looking at the other in confusion. "Is it time to get up already?"

Eren chuckled at the boy's sleepy face and smiled, "Yeah, time to get ready. Meet me in the kitchen once you're ready." With that, he left the room and headed down the stairs to the common-room, which was vacant except for Armin sitting in one of the chairs by the wall, a book in his hand. He looked as if he was scrutinizing it's text for something desperately important. The brunette walked over to the small blonde and plopped himself tiredly into the seat adjacent from him.

"Morning Armin," He said through a yawn.

"Ah, Good morning Eren," Armin replied, look up from his book after placing his finger amongst the text to mark his spot, "You're up early."

"Yeah, well, gotta get that boy out of the castle so everyone can put all the shit together for this afternoon," he replied, a huff escaping his chest as he paused, "Levi gave me more errands today to keep the kid busy with me, so that'll be great." He dragged out the last word, his voice dipped in sarcasm and Armin chuckled before changing the subject.

"So, you know Sora wants to join the military, right?" The blonde said as he eyed his best friend, his grown out hair partially pulled back into a ponytail, "Are you okay with that?" Eren just grunted in reply as he saw Sora come downstairs and sit himself next to him.

"Good morning, Sora," Armin said with a smile.

"Oh, good morning Armin." He looked at the blond with a small smile, though it still lacked that 'real' feeling of it. It still felt fake.

"Dad, I'm hungry." He tugged on Eren's hand, glaning up at him. LEvi had banned him from cooking, considering last time he did he nearly burnt the building down.

Eren groaned inwardly at the child's nagging but when he looked into those eyes, his agitation washed away. He smiled and stood up, heading to the kitchen to make some pancakes, calling back to Armin to ask if he wanted anything.

"Only if you're offering!" Armin said loudly to the retreating figure.

"Obviously, why else would I ask?" Eren called back before disappearing into the kitchen

Sora's smile brightened a tad as he saw Eren sigh and get up before moving off to the kitchen. The two began to loudly converse with eachother and Sora remained quiet, playing with his necklace. He dreamt about it the night before, of a pretty woman giving it to him.

 _'This is for you Sora,' came her gentle voice, cooing to the toddler._ He could see his hands grabbing at the necklace and pulling it from her before she gasped and tugged it away. 'N-no Sora, don't eat that!' A small smile grew on his lips from the memory, as he assumed that she was his mother. She was beautiful...she seemed so...sweet, and had the most beautiful eyes. Sora just wished he could remember her name.

Eren came out of the kitchen a good forty-five minutes later, a large stack of pancakes in his hand, a stack of plates in the other. After he set the pancakes down, he started setting the table for the other squad members that had wandered down into the area, following the smell of fresh pancakes, a rare food to be eaten since no one was usually willing to cook. After a loud and fun breakfast that left everyone - even Levi - in a good mood, Eren and Sora washed their dishes and departed for the city.

Sora was, as usual, rather quiet during breakfast. He was still thinking to himself about the woman, and would only speak when spoken to, like a polite little brat, as Levi would call him. He enjoyed breakfast as much as any other person had, but was eager to get out of there to be with Eren. Once they were out the door, his small hand wandered up and found the older man's large one.

Eren's lips twitched in a smile as he felt the small hand wrap around his own. They were able to finish their first few errands quickly, much to Eren's surprise and knew he had to figure out a way to stall Sora. The sun was barely at it's peak in the sky. 

Sora commented loosely on their activities, grumbling about how he was bored--typical teenage things to say.

"Dad, I'm hungry."

"Dad! This is so boring, let's do somethin' else."

"Dad!"

An idea popped into the older brunette's head and he turned to look down at the small child beside him.

"Hey, Sora, we've got a little spare time on our hands so do you want to come with me to the memorial? I don't think I've taken you there before." His brilliant green eyes looked into the child's cerulean ones and a familiar feeling of warmth washed over him. Sora huffed as the other finally thought of a good idea, and he nodded some. A memorial didn't seem so boring.

"Okay." Sora grumbled finally after a moment of thought.

Eren turned and walked down the road in the direction of the memorial. It was a good twenty minute walk away but they finally made it. The great black stone with thousands of names carved onto it, those of the dead and still-missing, sat alone in the park with only the surrounding trees for comfort. No other human was around, being as it was a busy wednesday. Eren waited for Sora to catch up, watching him walk up to him.

"You all right there, Sora? I didn't think a little walk would tire you out this much. I thought you were tougher than that. And after all the training Mikasa and I gave you, honestly!" He huffed in mock disappointment and halfway held up his hands in a shrug before looking back down at the boy with a joking smile.

The tired boy huffed as he kept up with the taller man before he kicked Eren's boot lightly. "You've got long legs, asshole." He grumbled lowly, before he turned his eyes to the large stone. His eyes widened at how large it was, before he stepped forward to look at it curiously. He waleked around, gazing at all the names in wonder before he came across two familiars.

"Cloud... Strife." He muttered to himself, before looking at the name under his. "Aerith. Aer..." It was as if he had been knocked down. He gaped as he fall back, the memory hitting him so harshly. In his minds eye he could see them clearly, the smiling couple just laughing, grinning as they played with him. He could see the silver haired boy, a red head too. They were all together.

Laughing.

Smiling.

Tears streamed down his cheeks as his hands covered his mouth. Those were his parents, his _real_ parents!

Eren's eyes widened in shock as the child broke down, rushing over to where he was and kneeling down beside him.

"Sora? Sora! It's okay, I'm sorry," He pulled the boy into his lap and cradled him. "I'm sorry." He repeated the phrase over and over again, regretting taking him to the memorial as he waited for the child to finish sobbing into his shoulder.

He stared over the adults shoulder, eyes still gushing salty tears as he bore onto the two names. Cloud, and Aerith. They...

"Tha-That's my mom... and my dad." He said shakily, gripping the other tightly. "My parents... t-they're dead." He buried into the others chest. He had known for so long now they were probably dead, but... seeing their names on the stone, finally seeing proof of their death, It was earth shattering for him.

Once the tears had dried up, he just sat there silently, relishing all the memories he had of the two people. Such generous folks who took him in with no second thoughts, replacing his biological family without batting an eye. He had fallen inlove with Aerith and Cloud, their personalities, their willingness to help him with everything and anything.

And they were gone.

Eren's frown deepened and he held the small boy close to his chest. He didn't force him to get up or stop crying - he let him have all the time he needed as they sat there in the utterly empty park. After nearly two hours of sitting there on the ground, holding the child close to him, Eren finally spoke.

"Sora, people come and go every day. Sometimes they die, other times they leave or even disappear. But they're never really gone. Whenever you meet someone, they leave an imprint on your heart, even if they're the biggest asshole in the world." He paused to take a breath, "There are many, many people like you, Sora. People who know many names on this stone and know exactly how you're feeling and once you find those people, I'm sure you'll be able to find some kind of peace in them." He gently pried the young boy away from him enough to look into his eyes, the eyes he loved so much now tinged red and filled with tears.

"And I promise you, my name, nor Levi's or Jean's or Armin's or Mikasa's or anyone in our family will be on that stone as long as we can help it. We will protect you and always be there for you in place of your parents."

As he listened to Eren he was forced to look up at the other, eyes wet and red, while shoulders quivered with small hiccups from his sobbing.

"But....But I don't want to let them go." Sora whimpered. "They were my family - my second family! All of them died... my biological family, Cloud and Aerith... What if you guys die too? You can't control when you die!" He seemed to be getting frustrated. "You can't control when a goddamn Titan will eat you or when you'll get smothered by a rock or worse!" He yelled at the other. "You can't! Y-you can't..."

Eren picked up the small boy's hands and looked at them as he spoke.

"Hey, remember when I told you about Armin's idea that there are other worlds? Well, There may be people who lived here with the same names as your parents, but that doesn't mean they actually _were_ you're parents. These people could have been their reflections and you're real parents and friends are all still alive in another world. Do you understand, Sora?" He spoke gently to the almost-teen, moving to look into his eyes.

He shook his head, looking away. "t-they can't be--they have to be my parents! They're not...clones! They're not!" He seemed to refuse to believe the man, too hellbent on believing that these two people were indeed his parents. "They can't be..."

Eren sighed and pulled out the handkerchief Levi always made him keep on hand and wiped away the child's tears. He didn't know what else to say and was about to apologize again before a voice spoke up behind them.

"Wow, you're _that_ upset over your parent's death? Geez, what a crybaby." The tall boy flipped back a stray piece of silver hair and directed his green eyes to the crying boy with a very unimpressed look on his face.

Sora looked up at the other, eyes wide. "You're... Riku." He said quietly, before he pushed away from Eren to stand. He remembered the boy from the memories of his parents. "You'd always make fun of me, for the littlest things. Crying when I fell or when I spilled something..." He walked towards him, seemingly in a daze. "We were best friends, you, me and Kairi... we'd play all day on the beach and..."

Riku raised a brow at the boy as he stood, speaking about strange things. The fact that he knew about Kairi when she had never mentioned him before was odd. He pushed himself off the memorial which he had been leaning on and stood up.

"Listen, Sora. I don't know what you're talking about. I've lived here my entire life, watching ignorant, fat people go about their lives as soldiers are eaten beyond the walls. I don't know what the hell a beach is, either. But I sure as hell know you're a crybaby and if you'd ever think about becoming a soldier like I am, you should really fix that." He shook his head, glancing quickly at Eren who seemed to be glaring at him almost disapprovingly before walking away.

Sora blinked at the others harsh words, strangely feeling his eyes water--but out of anger. "H...how dare you!" He yelled angrily at the other. "They were my parents! I can cry if I want! Who're you to tell me what I can and can't do huh? I don't care who the hell you are, you're just an asshole!" He yelled at the other, hands curling into fists. "You think you're tough just because you helped me earlier? I didn't need you! S-so just fuck off!"

By the time he was done, he felt his little heart crack. He had never...never yelled at Riku before. Never, for ever. His hands fell to his sides as he looked down at his feet, eyebrows furrowed together. This ...this wasn't his Riku. Not the quiet, smart kid he knew. Riku would never talk to Sora like that, especially when it came to his parents. This Riku was just...an ass! A jerk! Sora hated him! "...I want my best friend back..." He muttered quietly to himself, gripping his necklace. He wanted his _life_  back.

Riku stopped and turned his head to look back at the younger boy. For some reason, he did look strangely familiar, almost hauntingly so. He blinked before turning back to him halfway.

"Yeah, I'm an asshole. That's what this world does to kids like me. But seriously, they died ten years ago, just like mine. Seeing my own parents eaten in front of me, yeah that tends to do things to a kid." He looked at the memorial, his eyes sweeping the names engraved in it's slick, black surface. "Besides, don't you have him?" He nodded his head in Eren's direction. The brunette had stood up, watching the two with wary eyes.

Sora looked at the other with glaring eyes, "So what? I never knew what happened to them! Do you know what it's like, waking up somewhere you don't know? I didn't know anyone--I was alone! I-if it wasn't for Eren and the others, I'd be dead! Probably eaten by some disgusting titan!" He spat the name of the horrid creature, eyes vibrant with hatred. "Of course I do! But he's not dead!"

"Exactly," the other replied calmly, his green gaze boring into the smaller boy, "So shouldn't you be able to accept the fact that your old parents are dead? Wouldn't they be happy in the afterlife, knowing their son was being looked after?" He sighed, looking down at the ground for a moment before turning away again. This kid was obviously too angry and upset to take in his words. "Whatever, I guess. See ya later, Sora."

Sora's glare darkened at his words.

"There won't be one," he grumbled to himself, before turning and grabbing Eren's sleeve to pull him roughly away. "Let's go." He spat, marching away by the time the brunette managed to right himself and follow after the 12 year old. 

Riku watched him go, something tormenting his insides. Regret? Did he honestly mean the harsh words he had said to Sora? The feeling that boy gave him - a feeling that told him to trust and protect him - made his insides curl as he said each hurtful sentence. When they were gone, he stood by memorial for a little while longer, his gaze attracted to the two names of his parents.

"You think I got through to him, Mom, Dad?" He sighed quietly, "I hope I did. And wherever you are, tell Tifa I said 'hi'." He turned from the memorial, walking out of the park and disappearing into the bustle of the town.

 

-x-

 

Eren glanced at the angry child stalking down the road next to him, the scowl that had been on his face had somewhat disappeared, his cheeks still stained by earlier tears. He glanced into the sky, the sun already well on it's way to setting. He decided they should just go back to the castle and leave the rest of their errands for tomorrow. Sora sighed quietly to himself, trying his best to calm himself. It wasn't fair for him to treat his adopted father so horribly. He walked beside him, frowning as he held the others hand lightly, just to show he wasn't mad at him.

"Hey Sora," He said, looking down at the boy without moving his head, "Why don't we head back to the castle? I can finish the rest of the errands tomorrow."

"Okay." He grumbled quietly, nodding his head at the older. He looked up at eren, blinking his vibrant eyes before he looked off. "I want to go home anyways." He mumbled, wanting to just relax and calm down.

Eren nodded silently, giving the boy a smile as they continued walking. Reaching the castle, Eren slowed his pace, approaching the large doors slowly. Grabbing the handles, he pushed the large doors open to the dark entryway. He led Sora down the hall and into the common-room before flicking on the lights. 

Something was off. Very off. Sora looked at the quiet castle suspiciously, unsure of what they were planning. Was this some dumb attempt to scare him? How funny. However, he nearly jumped at the sight of the small party, smiles on most faces. He looked at the banner before his eyes widened. Oh my god, he nearly groaned. How could he forget his own birthday? But... after such a day...

Noise erupted and streamers were thrown. A cheer cried out by the inhabitants of the castle as they smiled at the young, bewildered boy standing in the doorway.

"Happy Birthday, Sora!" They cried. Each of them held a present wrapped in miscellaneous paper as they stood around a table with a large and messily decorated cake. Eren glanced down at the boy sheepishly, a hand running through the back of his long hair.

"Ah, surprise?" He laughed.

"Oh...this..." He was still in some shock before the child gave a timid smile. "Thank you..." He mumbled, before shifting to stand taller before giving a short boy of thanks to the others. It was an old habit from soras childhood, he never really grew out of it.

Eren ruffled the small boy's head, "C'mon, we've been planning this for a month, give us some credit." He laughed as the others surrounded them and led Sora to the table, each giving their gifts in a joyful ceremony. Sora gave a whine as he felt the older male ruffle his messy hair, hands swatting at his before he grunted as he was pushed off. He pulled himself into a chair, looking at the presents rather eagerly.

One of the best parts of being the youngest was being treated as such. He hated admitting it, but all the attention he got was awesome, especially when the girls coddled or played with him. He didn't enjoy it so much as wrestling or training with some of the others, but letting Petra or Christa play with his hair, or playing tag with Sasha was fun and he enjoyed it. Sora beamed at the presents, thanking each person individually with hugs or kisses on the cheek, in the girls cases.

Levi stood against the wall and watched the others and Eren walked over to him.

"Levi, we took a detour to the Wall Memorial because he got bored. However, he had an outburst and was antagonized by an older boy he'd apparently known from his island." Eren paused as the corporal sipped from the cup he was holding, "It's my fault if he doesn't enjoy himself. I'm sorry." The older man lowered his cup and looked back at happy group a few yards away.

"Don't worry Eren, everyone's having fun right now so hopefully he'll catch their good cheer." He took another sip from his cup, "Or maybe he just needs to take a shit." He glanced at Eren, who had snickered at the comment, his face sliding into a small smile.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing."

"You're lying, shitty brat."

Eren just grinned and gave the corporal's cheek a quick lick, causing the shorter man's face to break out in a blush as he whipped his head around to face the taller man.

"You had a little frosting on your cheek," Eren said as his grin widened. Levi pulled his lips into a tight line and pulled out his handkerchief, wiping the side of his face.

"You could have just told me." 

Eren watched Sora open all of his presents, mostly new clothes. Eren had told everyone of his wish to join the military, despite Eren's attempts to convince him otherwise. The boy seemed to be in a better mood than when they had left the memorial, and Eren was grateful for that.

"Oi."

Eren jumped at the sound of the corporal so close to him. He looked down at the shorter man, who stood (seemingly on his tip-toes) peering into his face.

"W-What is it?"

"You were spacing out again."

"What's your point? I had a stressful day." That earned him a kick from the corporal.

"You think _you_ had a shitty day, brat? How do you think this was all put together? By those idiots? I think not," he turned back to lean against the wall again, "I even baked that damn cake myself." They both watched as Christa helped Sora cut into the cake for the first slice.

Sora laughed lightly as the blond guided his hand through the cake smoothly, before he placed the large slice onto a plate. He looked around the crowd, before his eyes landed on Eren. Scuttling out of his chair, he trudged over to the brunet before holding out the first slice of cake to the other.

"Here, dad." The youngest murmured lightly, a small smile on his face. It was a sort of thanks for taking him out, even though the results weren't as great as Sora hoped for. 

Eren blinked in surprise before a smile stretched over his face and he took the plate, "Thanks, Sora." He watched the boy trot back to the table and he plucked a piece of the cake from it's sugary body and popped it in his mouth. The taste was very, very sweet, just as Sora like it.

"Wow Levi, you really got this cake thing down. I'm surprised for such a vicious man to make something so sweet." He said jokingly to the older man.

The corporal huffed, "Stuff it, Shitty brat, before I-" He was cut off by Eren shoving a large forkful of cake in his mouth, pulling out the fork from the sticky glob.

"Did I stuff it right?" He laughed and the corporal glared daggers at him that Eren could almost feel dig into his skin and he laughed some more. The whole room resonated with good cheer and sugary sweets.

Once Eren took the plate, he trotted off to cut more pieces for everyone else, handing them out individually to each person. A hand came to ruffle his hair, belonging to the grinning Jean. "Thanks, kid," he teased, while Sora seemed to puff out like an angered kitten.

"I'm not a kid anymore! I'm 12!" Sora exclaimed, lips set in a childish pout as he glared cerulean eyes up at the man. He merely snorted and shoved the frosted treat into his mouth.

"Jackass." He grumbled, turning his back as he continued to serve others. 

Sora looked over as he watched Eren and Levi interact in wonder. They were awfully close, he told himself in suspicion. But he couldn't just ask them what was going on, Levi would tell him to scram and Eren would deny the whole thing. So who could he ask...

"Christa!" He yelled the blonde's name, hopping off his chair to approach her. "I need to ask you something!" He tugged at her delicate hand, nearly dragging her from Jean's side and off into a secluded corrider.

"Ah? E-Eh? Sora?" Christa stuttered as she was pulled from her partner, who blinked in surprise before grumbling something and turning to speak with Connie. She stopped a few yards away from the partying group. "Is there something you need?" she asked, completely confused by Sora's sudden question.

"Yeah!" He stopped before looking up at the other. "Why's dad so close to Levi?" He seemed rather confused, and maybe a little irritated. "A-are they like... fucking?" He tilted his head at the other, frowning. Was his guardian having relations with his boss? That was so... weird. And inappropiate!

Christa blinked for a second before her eyes went wide and her face broke out in red. "I-I-I-I don't know what your t-t-t-t-talking about S-S-Sora!!" She stuttered, frantically shaking her head. She looked off to the side, "M-Maybe that's something you should ask Eren about, y-you know?" She placed her hands on her cheeks, trying to make the blush disappear. Sora gave her a dull look at her reaction. Maybe asking Christa was a bad idea. He sighed, rubbing at his forehead before he looked up at the new member of their little party. Jean wandered over from the large group and looked between the two. 

"Something wrong?" He asked, an eyebrow raised questioningly at Christ as she lightly pat her pink cheeks.

"Jean!" The small brunette shifted to move closer to the other, frowning. Hopefully Jean would answer his question. "Is Dad with Levi-Heichou?" He tugged at his hand. "Are they like, fucking?"

Jean's eyebrow raised further and he cocked his head, "Ha? You didn't know that? Shit, they've been together since before Eren found you, though it wasn't really official then. It's not really stuff kids like you should know about. Maybe once you're out of the military and have some field experience."

"Jean!" Christa said disapprovingly, knowing full-well Eren didn't want Sora to go into the military and she agreed with him, "Don't encourage him!"

"What? I only told the kid what he wanted to know! And hey, Sora, you should use the word 'fucking' 'till you're older, it's a bad word." He pulled the corner of his mouth into a cocked frown, but no disapproval showed on his face.

"I'm 12." He huffed, glaring some at the two of them. "I can use it if I want!" He crossed his arms. "All of you use it--well, she doesn't but you do! And so does Eren! Especially at night, which is weird." He grumbled to himself before sighing. He saw Jean snicker and cover his mouth with his hand to keep from spewing his cake and the blush returned to Christa's cheeks, darker than before.

"Eeh? And no one told me?!" He exclaimed, eyes wide. "T-that makes him my...mom or something!" He seemed horrified, even going a tad pale at the thought of Levi as a mother of any kind. Oh no, he was definitely going to talk to Eren about this later that day.

Jean laughed outright at the kid's comment. "Hell yeah it does, that clean-freak's your mommy." Christa punched him in the gut before he could say any more, making him keel over clutching his stomach and gasping for breath. She bent down to Sora's level and looked into his eyes.

Sora went to punch the other before Christa beat him to it, leaving him smirking at the gasping mean. "Ha." He snickered before turning his attention up to the blond woman, his dark eyes becoming soft as she spoke to him. He always had a gentle side when it came to Christa. He wouldn't dare be mean to her, not because of Ymir but because she was just too sweet.

"Sora, sweetie, I don't think you should worry about that right now. It's your birthday! Just go enjoy yourself and have some more cake, alright?" She smiled brightly at the boy.

"Okay." He mumbled, a smile on his lips as he kissed her cheek. "Thanks for the present, by the way."

Christa's smile broadened, if that was possible, and she gave him a "You're welcome" before standing up next to Jean. They watched the kid trot off before making their way back to the group to converse.  


 

-x-

 

Eren and Levi were some of the last people in the common-room after the sun had fallen behind the wall long before. Levi picked at his half-eaten piece of cake tiredly, giving a yawn before Levi spoke. 

"Maybe you should go to bed," he suggested, gazing out the window next to them. Eren blinked, bags starting to settle under his eyes. 

"That's not a bad idea," he said before he stood up, "Tell Sora I went to bed then."

"Good night."

"Good night, Corporal." 

With that, Eren trudged off to bed, obviously exhausted by the way his shoulder's slumped and he dragged his hand through the back of his hair and neck.

Sora enjoyed himself with the others, laughing as he, Sasha and Connie played tag and other childish games. Who said sora couldn't be a kid every once and a while? It was hard being the youngest sometimes, and the young spirited soldiers enjoyed making him feel better.

"You're it, Sasha!" He squeaked, ramming into her back as she slowed down. "Ow!" He rubbed his nose, frowning up at her. "Why'd you stop?"

"It's late." She seemed tired, and Connie seemed to agree. The younger whined some as everyone bid him good night, patting his head or giving him hugs.

"Good night.." He muttered, left alone with Levi. He looked over at the other, looking nervous.

Levi casually sipped his tea, staring off into space while he let his mind wander. He realized he was being watched and looked over to see Sora staring at him, shifting uncomfortably.

He set his cup down before speaking, "Well, brat? Something you wanna say? You look like you've got something on your mind."

He jumped as the man began to talk before he paused. "Um...yeah I do want to ask you something, s-sir." He grumbled. He remembered the last few times he hadn't treated the other with respect. He had been whipped and hit and... not fun stuff.

"Then spit it out already," The older man said casually.

"... You're with my dad, right?" He muttered quietly, frowning up at the other. "You're, um, doing stuff with him, right?"

"Took you long enough to figure that out," Levi replied, taking a sip from his cup. He looked the boy directly in the eye, "I know you think of Eren as your "dad" but he's barely twenty-two. He can't take care of you by himself, hell he can barely take care of himself without me. So he asked me earlier to help him take care of you and to stop with harsh discipline." He paused, leaning back in his chair, swinging on arm over the corner. "So I guess that makes me your new mommy."

He made a small sound at the direct eye contact before he nervously looked away. He knew it was a sign of disrespect--and hopefully wouldn't be hit--but their relationship wasn't strong enough for the contact. Hell sora made sure to ignore him--if he could avoid being spanked he would. "Oh...okay." He mumbled quietly. He was sorta always like a mom. Albeit a strict one.

Levi stared at the kid for a moment, before he gave a quick chuckle, draining his cup and pushing the chair back. "Your daddy went to bed already, kid, so if you want to catch him I'd go now." He walked over to the kitchen sink and washed his cup before placing it on the drying rack. "I've got to clean up this damn mess since everyone else snuck off to bed."

Sora glanced back at him before he paused. "... I could help," he said lightly, playing with his fingers. He knew their relationship wasn't the best, but if Levi was his new 'mommy' he could atleast try to work on making a good relationship with him.

Levi paused in his cleaning, glancing back at the boy for a moment before continuing, "Well how bout you bring me all the dishes everyone left lying around, for a start." Sora gave a bright smile before he nodded and rushed off to do as the man asked. He collected all the plates, carrying them back to Levi.

At the quiet clatter next to him, Levi glanced over from his washing at the boy. Despite being twelve, he was only a few inches taller than the countertop. /Damn, he's as short as I was when I was his age./ Suddenly, something hit Levi in the chest, emotionally. This kid was going to go through the same bulling and jokes that he had to go through about his height, and that was something Levi cold connect to. Oh, did he know the feeling.

He quickly looked back at his dishes, "Great, thanks, could you go spray down the tables now? Those idiots left crumbs and food everywhere."

"Okay, mom." He said in a light teasing manner, before abandoning his side to do as the other asked. With spray and paper towels in hand, he began to wipe off the tables for the older man, before a yawn escaped him. He was still a kid, he got tired quiet easily. He rubbed his eyes with a soft whine before he kept cleaning.

Levi grunted at the comment with a little "You're the one who offered" but continued cleaning. He heard the tired yawn behind him and put the last dish in the drying rack before toweling off his hands. Turning to the small boy, he walked over and took the cleaning supplies from him and placed thm on the table, catching him just before he fell over in his exhaustion. 

"Honestly, kid, you could have just said you were tired," Levi muttered to himself before picking the boy up, walking towards the stairs that lead to the dorms. Sora gave a small sound in response to the other, his tiny smile never fading. Their relationship was growing, even if slowly. Sora didn't mind, as long as they bonded in some way. But he would definitely use every oppertunity he could to mess with the other now, especially by calling him mom or mommy. He knew it'd piss him off, even if Levi was scary. Eren wouldn't let him hit Sora over such a little thing.

"I was helping..." He grumbled, leaning against the others shoulder as he was whisked away to his bedroom. "I can walk..." He whined, rubbing at his tired blue eyes.

"Yeah, well I'm not risking you injuring youself because you're too blinded by sleep to see where you're going," He replied exasperatidly. They passed by Eren's door and Levi stopped, noticing the light still on. "Do you want to say good night to Eren?"

At the others words he grumbled a small 'yes' before cracking his eyes open. He looked towards the door, yawning into his hand as Levi kicked the door open and carried him inside. As Levi opened the door roughly with his foot, he startled Eren who had been just about to climb into his bed.

"C-Corporal! And Sora?" Confusion clouded his gaze as he saw the small child in the arms that had beat him many times before for disrespect and comments made about his height. "Uh..."

"The brat came to say goodnight. He was helping me clean but almost fell asleep," Levi answered Eren's unspoken questions, a look on his face that dared Eren to say something about him holding the boy on his hip.

Sora gave a tired sniffle before waving some at the other. "Good night, dad..." He mumbled, practically laying on the Corporal's shoulder, his fatigue eradicating any sort of clear thought process. In his weariness, Sora appeared much younger than he was, almost like the little boy Eren found almost six years ago.

"Thanks for taking me out today..and the party and stuff." He grumbled, eyes slipping shut before snapping open.

Eren smiled softly at the boy, "You're welcome Sora. Goodnight."

He gave a tired smile before mumbling and leaning into Levi's shoulder, his tired consciousness blinking in and out. "Sleep..."

Levi huffed and shifted so the boy could wrap his arms around his neck, "I'm going to take him to bed, Eren."  
  
Eren chuckled, "You really look like a mother with him on your hip."

"Oh, shut up."

"Goodnight, Levi."

"Go to bed, you shitty brat."

Eren smiled, "Yes, sir."

"... Goodnight." With that Levi quickly left the room and walked down the hall a few yards to Sora's room. Nudging the door open, he walked the child over to the bed and set him down, gently prying his tiny hands off his neck. Sora opened his eyes some as he listened to their playful banter, rather used to it by now. How could he have not realized it sooner?

"...Do you love him?" He asked Levi as he was pried away. He seemed more awake than before, but judging by the half open eyes and tired frown he wasn't that far from passing out. "I think you do. Even though you don't really show it." He glanced up at him. "I guess that's why I never really realized it until now."

Levi was taken aback by the question, stunned silent for a rare few seconds before regaining his voice, "He's an reckless idiot who's determination almost gets him killed every time he goes out on the field. He's always distracted or spacing out and he always insults my height." Levi snorted, "But, he's also very good at considering the feelings and thoughts of others. He always knows what to say to motivate everyone and he almost, if not always, follows every order I give him with hardly any question. Despite his hot-headedness and sarcastic mouth, he's very entertaining to be around." Levi pried off the child's shoes and placed them orderly next to the bed.

"He's also very good at cleaning," Levi added, "So yes, I do love him."

Sora watched the other as he took care of him, even taking off his shoes. How very unlike him.

"... I'm glad then." He seemed to be smiling, if even by a little. "Dad is stupid. Really stupid. And you're smart, so you two balance each other out. Even if you're both boys, I think it's okay." He muttered. "You can't help who you like, especially a dummy like Eren." He laughed lightly, rubbing at his eyes. "I've never had parents that were together. Cloud and Aerith were separated, and... my real parents..." He was silent before shaking his head. "I don't remember a thing about them."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Levi replied, pulling the covers over the boy's body. He stood up and walked to the door, pausing in it's frame to look back at Sora.

"Happy birthday, Sora." He said quickly. He shut off the lights and closed the door almost all the way before walking back to his own room across the hall from Eren's. Now he knew what Eren was talking about when he said that just being around the kid makes you happy. He could feel the smile pinching the corners of his lips and as he reached his room, he still wasn't able to wipe it off.  
  
Sora gave another yawn as he curled into his pillow, a lazy smile on his lips. "Good night, mom." He mumbled, the taunting tone still there but just faintly. When he heard the door close he glanced at it once more, a small laugh leaving him before he settled in to finally sleep.


	9. First Impressions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sora joins the Trainee Corps after seven years of waiting and meets a new friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, so basically Alys-chan and I have like pretty much planned this story out and let me tell you it is NOT ending ANYTIME soon so don't worry. Hell, Theres so much i don't know whether I want to break it into multiple books or just have a shitload of chapters. Leave a comment with your opinion and enjoy the first day impressions and some more KH/FF characters introduced!

Eren tugged Sora's sleeve back into place, making sure it was straight before he fixed his collar. His hair was messy, too, damn it. Eren thread his finger through the boy's spikes, trying to fix them before his hands were swatted away. He gave one last brush of the boy's shoulders before finally standing up, a hand to his chin as he examined the younger one. Sora sighed as the man fussed over him, an eye roll given. 

"Dad! _Dad!_ " He whined, pushing at the man. "That hurts! Leave my hair be!" 

"I still feel like we're missing something," Eren said aloud. Levi sat at the desk, one arm over the chair, his legs crossed. 

"You're fussing over him too much," the older man said. 

Sora huffed, pouting at Eren while nodding at Levi's words. "Yeah! I'm fine, there's nothing wrong." He rolled his eyes. 

Levi stood up and walked over to the boy, bending down to fix his collar, " _This_ is how you do it the right way." 

Eren bent down next to him, nodding his head, "Oh, I see what you did." 

Sora nearly slapped himself in the face frowning. "Mom! Dad - stop!" He ordered, glaring weakly at them, cheeks red. "This is so embarrassing - we're going to be late!"  Eren stood up, frowning, as Levi put his hands on Sora's shoulders and looked him dead in the eye. 

"If anybody messes with you, I'll kill them," he said menacingly before standing up himself.  

Sora blinked at the others serious look, before feeling sweat drip down his neck. "Y-yes sir." He muttered quietly, obediently. 

"Alright then, let's go," Eren said before he ushered the both of them out the door and onto their horses they had waiting outside. Sora rushed out, grinning as he petted his horse before pulling himself up. 

 

-x-

  

Eren looked over at Sora as they dismounted. The kid easily swung off the horse, despite his small size. /Man this kid is going to be really good at the agility courses/ he thought to himself before they strode over to the departing area. This was the area where eligible children left to ride to the training barracks, departing from their families (if they had any) 

Sora gave a soft sound at the sight, frowning. This is where he says goodbye to eren and Levi? They wouldn't see him? 

"How often can I see you?" He asked them quietly, looking up with a nervous frown. He didn't know anyone, had no friends besides the adults. So of course he'd become lonely... 

Well," Eren replied, giving s sheepish smile, "not very often. There's only one break during the year in the spring. You'll be training pretty much every day starting in a week." Bending down, he looked the child in the eye and grinned, "But that's alright, because then you can totally knock Mikasa off her feet when you get back!" 

The boy looked at him wide eyed. "B-but you guys are officials and stuff, can't you visit?" He seemed so scared, but he was so eager for so long--was he turning back? 

Eren's smile faded to a slight frown, "Yeah, we are, but we can't just barge into the training corps whenever we feel like seeing you. That's unfair to the others who have to wait the full year. Besides, wouldn't you be embarrassed if I came and ruffled your head in the middle of training with all your friends?" 

"What friends." He grumbled quietly before sighing. Eren was right, he supposed. It wouldn't be fair at all. He gave a sigh before he shifted to hug Eren tightly. 

"Oh, don't worry, you'll definitely make some while you're training," He replied to the boy's quiet grumble before returning the hug. That was rare. Sora must really been needing some comfort if he asked for physical contact. He looked over at Levi who was leaned up against the wall, looking away. 

"C'mere _Mom_ ," Eren said tauntingly. Levi was about to form a retort before Eren grabbed him and pulled him into the hug. He stiffened before a sigh escaped his lips and he wrapped his arms around the small boy. 

Sora gave a muffled sound as Eren pulled them all together in a family hug. "I'll miss you...and everyone else too." He muttered, feeling his eyes sting. 

"Be safe," Levi said quietly, practically inaudible in the noise of the area. 

This was it. The first time he was ever really separated from eren. Levi, all of his friends at the castle. He was alone, and scared and...he didn't know what to expect. Eren had said training was rough, but the brunet had friends. He had Armin and Mikasa...Sora was all alone. 

When he pulled away, he steeled himself. His mask of indifference was at play and he glanced up at the two. "I suppose I'll write, then. Tell you about training and such." He paused. "Ah - please don't die while I'm gone, okay? I'll hate you forever." 

Eren blinked before laughing out loud at the boy's comment, "Don't worry, no one will be any dying anytime soon." A horn blew in the distance, signaling that the volunteers were to board the wagons to the training grounds. "Ah, you better go, Sora. Don't worry, you'll hear from us sooner than you think." 

"Take care kid, and good luck. You'll need it," Levi said to the boy before he placed his hand on the other's head for a moment before walking back to his horse. 

Sora smiled at his father before nodding. The horn signaled his future--his career. "Bye..." He murmured before walking off after the others. 

He was silent, his suitcase in had as he followed the scattered groups of kids conversing with little laughs. 

Eren watched Sora walk off, "Well, there he goes." 

"Oi, stop gazing at him like an old man remembering his childhood and get on your damn horse," Levi huffed, "Grab the kid's, too." 

Eren laughed before turning back and grabbing the reigns of Sora's horse, "Yes, sir." 

 

-x-

  

A young boy walked along with the others towards the wagons that would bring him to his future. He bumbed into people and always apologized. Everyone was in their own little groups and he was alone. He'd had friends, at one point, but they'd left him, somewhere along the way. He wondered how their military training was going… 

"Ouch!" He'd bumped into someone again as he was daydreaming. He look at the small brunette in front of him, "Oh, I'm so sorry!" 

Sora yelped as someone bumped into him before he looked over at the stranger in shock. He himself hadn't been really paying attention, but... 

"Uh, it's okay." He said lightly, frowning at the boy. "I'm Sora, Sora Jaëger." He held out a hand awkwardly. It felt strange introducing himself with the last name, but after the official "adoption into the jäeger family", he felt he owed Eren. 

The boy blinked before he took the hand, "I'm Tifen. Tifen Lockhart." He switched his bag to his other hand and walked beside the boy. "Are you really entering the military? I mean, you're so short." The brunette was a good three inches shorter than him. 

“What does my height have to do with anything?" He snapped, eyes flaring at the other. "Just because you're taller doesn't mean you'll be a better soldier." Sora spat, the rage of Levi flaring inside him. With a upturn of his nose he stomped off, glaring angrily now. 

"Ah- w-wait! I'm sorry!" he called, running after the boy. "I-It's just, my image of a soldier is the adults so I always think tall people. I'm really sorry!" His eyebrows turned up and his eyes full of worry that Sora would leave him too, so he apologized again, not knowing what to do.

Sora looked over at the other, before he huffed. 

"Yeah well, my parent is Corporal Levi and he's not tall," he grumbled. 

"What was that?" Tifen asked before a soldier came up to them. 

"Hey, you two! Get in the wagon if you're going to the training barracks before we leave you here!" He stomped off, not waiting for them to answer. 

"Y-Yes, sir!" Tifen called back before turning to Sora, "Guess we better go or they'll leave us behind!" He grabbed the other's wrist and ran over to one of the wagons before jumping in. Sora gave grumble at the order before he picked up the speed and yelped as he was dragged by the longer legs. 

Once they climbed on, sora sighed as he relaxed into the wagon and sat down with a heaving grumble, setting his suitcase beside him. 

"So, are you excited for training?" Tifen asked the younger boy. 

"Yeah, I have been for years." Sora gave a small smile. 

“Wow, really? I'm scared out of my mind!" The boy gave a laugh, tucking a stray piece of long black hair behind his ear. He turned to Sora again, "Hey, how old are you?"

Sora laughed some, grinning at the other. "I just turned 12, you?" He asked curiously. 

"Wow, that means you're really young to be joining!" He stared at the other in amazement before answering the question. "Oh, me? I'm 14. I'm a big chicken, I only joined the military because my mother kicked me out of the house after we got in a fight about it, haha!" he laughed again before he bit his tongue as the wagon hit a bump in the road. "Owowow!" he mumbled as he waved his hand on his stinging tongue. 

"I've been wanting to join since I was five." He muttered. "But it doesn't help with who my family is." He laughed lightly. "I’ve lived with members of the survey corps - have for 7 years." He rubbed his neck bashfully before jumping as the other bit his tongue. "You okay there?" 

"Phine," Tifen’s word came out weird as he spoke with his tongue out of his mouth. He waited for the stinging to go down before he pulled it back in. "Oh, that's neat," he said, "I've been living off the streets for a while so joining the military will at least give me a place to stay and food, right?" 

The brunette nodded at the others words. "Yeah but it's never enough, I hear. Sasha always told me about her hunger problems, but," he scoffed. "That girl has a hole in her stomach, it's endless." He rolled his eyes. "She would smuggle food then get in trouble by mo--uh, Corporal Levi." 

"Oh? You know Sash Braus? Like, actually _know_ her, not just know _of_ her? That's so cool! And Corporal Levi? Oh man, I'm jealous!" Tifen grinned.

"Yeah, she's like a sister to me." Sora smiled some, thinking about the others back home. It was nice talking to someone his age, but... He missed them more. The two talked the rest of the way to the training barracks and before they knew it, they had arrived. Tifen was the first to climb out, having been one of the last few to jump in. 

"We're here." The smaller boy grumbled before sliding out, grunting as he landed on his feet roughly, the step rather tall for him. "Ready?" He mused, grabbing his bag. 

"Oh, right!" Tifen replied, "Ready!" He gave a thumbs off and walked towards the baggage drop-off. Sora followed the older boy, throwing his bag aside. Levi would have smacked him for such behavior but...oh well. It was just clothes! 

Tifen waved to Sora, "Hurry, hurry! Let's get lined up!" Tifen walked over and stood in the rapidly growing assortment of lines, taking his place in the third line. Sora looked up at the other, before hurrying off after him. "Right." He stood straight, shoulders poised and back erect - Levi's posture lessons paid off after all. As the lines filled up, an official appeared before the front row of the fourth company. 

"I am Keith Shadis, your training instructor! I'm not here to welcome you all! From this day forward, you are nothing more than food for the titans!" he shouted, his deep-rooted scowl framed by wrinkles, only making his look that more intimidating. "We now begin the enlistment ceremony for the 134th Trainee Corps! In three years, we'll take you worthless pieces of crap and train you! In three years, when you stand before a titan, will you still be food? Or will you be a noble wall, shielding the king? Or even perhaps, one of humanities glorious soldiers that slay titans? You will decide!" 

Sora felt his pride and determination swell up in his stomach, eyes vibrant with his passion. He would slay every titan--kill each and every one until there was no more. He'd be humanities new weapon, better than his parents, better than Mikasa. He'd be the best of the best, and no one would stop him. 

The instructor walked along the lines, asking people their name and handing out one insult after another. he finally came to the third company, and stopped at the boy to the right of Sora. 

"You there! What's your name?" he asked loudly. 

The boy saluted, his abnormally bright red hair spiked backwards, "Lea Flynn, from Trost, sir!" 

"Oh? That's a stupid name. Did your parents name you?" 

"I named myself, sir!" 

"You did what, now? No wonder it's so stupid! You dumbass!" 

"Yes, sir!" 

Sora stood still and fearless, the man wasn't that scary. Some of the others were almost shaking. Obviously they didn't have parents like he had. The brunette nearly scoffed at the thought of it. They probably couldn't even handle it; the vigilant eye of Levi, always watching, ready to lash out at any given moment. But Sora wouldn't let this man get to him. He was strong, strong like the walls with a will power many didn't possess. 

The instructor finished with the young boy and continued on his way, he glanced at the small brunette but walked past him and instead stopped in front of Tifen. 

"And you! Who the hell are you?" 

Tifen saluted, "Tifen Lockhart, sir, from Hermina!" 

"Oh? What's a boy from the inner walls doing in these dumps?" 

"Saluting you, sir, because I don't want you to kill me before training starts!" 

Instructor Shadis blinked, "Well, carry on then." He casually walked away, "Third Line, about face!" Sora rolled his eyes at his new friends words, nudging him some before giving a smirk. _Nice save_ , he seemed to say. The instructor continued to the fourth line, and then the fifth, stopping in front of a tall, muscular boy, probably in his late teens, with longish brown hair. "You, what's your name?" 

"Leon, sir." he saluted. 

"What's your last name?" 

"I don't have one sir." 

"Where are you from? 

"Karanese, sir." 

Sora glanced over at the silent boy. Leon? What a familiar name... 

He blinked, looking forward as he tried to remember. Where had he heard that name before? He grimaced, frowning in distaste. Why couldn't sora remember? He hated these fragmented memories of his. So...unnecessary. Really. 

Before long, the instructor moved on, stopping in front of a young silver-haired boy with bright green eyes. 

"What about you?" 

He saluted, "Riku, sir, Riku Gainsborough." 

Sora's head snapped up at the others name. _Riku… Riku’s here? And why does he have that god damned name?_ He looked back at the other, eyes flaming with hate **.** MY _mother’s name, no less! As if he has the right…_  

But... Eren had said something about the worlds being different, that they weren't his parents, they just had the same names and appearances. That was why Riku didn't recognize him. But even so... of all goddamn names, of all people, why did that asshole have to share his mother’s? It wasn't fair... had he wept over someone else's parents? 

"Oh really?" the instructor continued, "Well where the fuck are you from? 

"Shiganshina, sir." 

"Oh? And how the fuck are you from that hell-hole from twelve years ago?" 

"I was born there a year before the attack, sir. I grew up in Trost but my home is still Shiganshina." 

"Well, better work your fat ass off if you want to reclaim that piece of shit, you hear me?" The instructor shouted. 

"Yes, sir!" Riku replied before the instructor moved on. His green eyes met the cerulean of Sora's and his eyes widened slightly before he turned his head away with a ' _tch_ '. Sora's heated eyes glared intensely at him before he turned away, fuming silently in his spot. 

 _Relax, Sora_. He needed to relax, no use getting wound up over a stupid boy. 

A stupid, asshole boy who had called him a crybaby. 

Well, yes, but the bigger man walks away. And Riku had walked away first. 

He shook his head of the thoughts, nearly braking formation to rub his temple tiredly. He was getting so aggravated these days, as if all of Erens prepubescent anger had rubbed off onto him. 

Tifen looked over at Sora, "Hey, you all right there, Sora?" He noticed the boy's scowl deepen and shake his head. 

"I just hate him so much." The boy said after a while, the fist resting against his chest tightening. 

"Don't worry, he's almost done and then we can go get some dinner." 

"Yeah. Dinner." The brunette grumbled before they were dismissed. He followed the stream of trainees off, frowning to himself as he thought. All sora had to do was avoid him. Avoid him at all possible costs. 

Tifen blinked. _Wow, this kid must really have a grudge against Riku. Wonder if I should tell him Riku and I used to be friends..._ He looked at the extreme hate and anger on the younger boy's face whenever he looked at the silverette in the distance and gulped, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. _Yeah... think I'll save that for later._ He didn't want Sora to look at him like that. For some reason, despite losing more people than he could count on his fingers, the thought of losing his new friend bothered him greatly and he curled his tongue at the thought before shaking it out of his head. 

Sora seemed to relax with time, a simple frown on his lips as he slid into a place at a table. Everyone was being fed now before they were forced to go to bed early for early training. The boy took his offered food, munching quietly. He sighed, pushing the food towards his new friend. 

"Take it. I'm not hungry," he grumbled, looking off. Sora never had much of an appetite before. He rubbed his neck, eyes still bright with...no, not eagerness. Determination. 

Tifen munched on his own food loudly, stuffing his face with the delicious, first-day food that would soon turn to gruel by the end of the week. He looked over at the plate, stopping his chewing to glance at Sora, "You sure? You're gunna need it for tomorrow's training." The small nod from the brunette was all he needed. 

"Ah, well, if you're sure then," The black-haired boy smiled and piled the food onto his own plate, chowing down. 

 _Living on the streets for half your life certainly gives one an appetite!_ he thought to himself. Before long, dinner was over and the recruits were herded off to the barracks where they would bunk for their days of training. Sora stood up lazily as they were hauled off, a yawn escaping him as Tifen hurried to catch up, still shoving the last piece of bread in his mouth. Sora made a small face, used to the proper manners at the castle. But they were children, sora reminded himself. Not sort-of-well-mannered adults. Luckily, Tifen was able to snag a bunk bed with Sora so he wouldn't have to be by himself. 

The dark-haired boy threw his bag onto the top bunk and hurriedly climbed up before anyone else could take it and he looked down over the edge at Sora beneath him. He saw a tall, dark figure out of the corner of his eye and before he could warn Sora, the person grabbed the small brunette's collar and lifted him up off his feet. 

"Well, well, well! If it isn't crybaby Sora! Here to be the water boy? Couldn't find a better use for yourself I see," he laughed as he watched the boy struggle in his grip, "What's the matter? You want me to let go? Well alright then!" He swung his arm back before tossing Sora hard onto the floor. The brunette snarled at the sight of the bully, glaring heatedly before gasping as he was thrown aside. 

He panted before he closed his eyes, collecting himself before he rolled onto his back, kicking his legs up as he flung himself up onto his feet fluidly, snarling as his hands came up in a defensive position. 

"You're picking a fight with the wrong person." He spat. "You may have bullied me before," he moved quickly, ducking under his arm and swiping his feet under the bully’s feet. He smirked as the other landed on his back, about to sit up before Sora’s foot came to press his face into the ground. 

"But I won't let you beat me anymore."

The bully's face stretched into snarl, "You little brat, you got lucky!" He grabbed Sora's ankle while he was on the ground and threw him into the wall by it. Since he was on the ground he couldn't get a good grip but he still managed to throw the boy a good amount away. He quickly stood himself back up before grabbing the boy and pressing his arm against his throat, holding him up on the wall. "What was that about not letting me beat you?" The older boy laughed in Sora's face.

Another figure appeared in the doorway, leaning against the frame with his arms crossed as his green eyes watched the fight. His silver hair was longer, covering more of his face. His eyes met the strained blue orbs and he waited, as if saying _What are you going to do now, Sora? I'm not going to help you this time._

Sora gave a hiss as he was pushed against the wall, before he seemed to freeze as he saw Riku. A strange boiling sensation happened in the pit of his stomach as the other appeared and it was if he gained the strength of five men. His eyes widened as the blue popped in anger, and his legs came to beat against his crotch. He grabbed the boy by the head, his curled fist bashing harsh against his cheek, sending him back. He glared at the other, panting as he kicked his side.

"Stay the fuck away from me!" He yelled angrily. "Stay away or I'll break your fucking leg!"

The bully made a sort of gargling noise as his crotch was hit repeatidly before he was knocked in the head, his grip on Sora loosening and he dropped him.   
  
"Y-You little brat!" He groaned as he held his crotch, blood dripping into his eye as he staggered away. "I won't forget this! I'll get you during training!"

Sora watched the bully stagger out, nostrils flaring in his rage before he looked away, glaring at the floor. "Go away," He spat to Riku, "I don't need your stupid help." The silverette didn't flinch, didn't say a word, just pushed himself off the door's frame, tucking his hands in his pants pockets and walked casually back outside.

Before he left, though, he turned his head back around, "Well, just so you know I'm in this cabin, so I'll be back. I'm going for a walk." He glanced at Tifen before he continued on his way, disappearing into the darkness of the night. Sora blinked at his words, watching him walk away.

 _God dammit!_ He ran his hands through his hair, trying to calm himself down, and  sat on his bed. _Holy shit, this is gonna be bad._

"Uh, Sora?" Tifen said quietly from his bed, eyes still wide from what had just transpired, "A-Are you okay? He hit you pretty good a few times."

The brunette glanced up at the other, blinking. His nose was bleeding a little but it had stopped a while ago. "Yeah." He grumbled. "I'm fine."

Tifen sighed, relaxing onto his bed and letting his arms hang over the sides. There was a moment of silence between the two before Tifen spoke again, "So, Riku's going to be bunking with us? That leaves one other bed le-" He stopped as another person walked in and stopped in the doorway. It was hard to see in the dim lights in the cabin's ceiling but the red spiikes on the other's head stood out perfectly.

"Yooo," the boy greeted loudly, the grin spreading over his face could easily bee seen, "'This cabin thirteen?"

"Yes." Sora replied after a moment, standing up to look at the boy curiously. "And who are you?"

"Well, hi!" He walked over to the bottom bunk across the small room and put down his bag before walking over to Sora. He bent over and smiled, "I'm Lea, Lea Flynn. Got it memorized?" He tapped a finger to his temple before standing back up, "Now what might be the name of my two shiny new bunkmates?" Sora looked at him curiously, his anger fading within moments. Lea sounded nice.

"Yeah, sure." He laughed some, rubbing his neck some. "I'm Sora Jaeger, nice to meet you."

"I'm Tifen Lockhart," The black-haired boy chimed in from his bed without moving, "Pleasure, Lea."  
  
"Pleasure's all mine," Lea responded with another smile, "So was that silver-haired kid I saw a while ago in our cabin, too? I mean, he knew where the cabin was when I asked him a few minutes ago. I am so bad with directions." The firehead rubbed his neck with a sheepish smile. 

Sora kept a scowl from his lips. "Yeah, he's from here," he grumbled before he laid down on his back. _God, why does he have to be in my cabin of all places?_ He looked over at the red head. "Where are you from?" He asked curiously.

"Trost," Lea replied before sitting down on his own bed, "You two?"

Tifen smiled at Lea, he really liked him, "Hermina."

Sora paused at the question, unsure of what to say. What...could he say? The hide out was a secret, hidden from humanity. "...trost." He said after a moment before nodding and relaxing some.

"Oh, you're from Trost, too?" Lea responded, "That's so awesome." His smile widened and ha laughed. "Too bad I haven't seen you around before. My father never used to let me out and made me spend all my days training in the basement for the past few years." He inhaled deeply and flopped back onto the bed, "Man, it's good to be outside!"

He watched the other before he looked away. "Yeah I...I've been training for a while now too with the scouting legion. My dad is one and my other dad is too."

Lea sighed, "Yeah man, training's tough. Hopefully this training isn't as harsh as my father's." he shivered at the thought before rolling over, kicking off his shoes, "Well, I'm going to bed, you two. You should do the same. We have to get up bright and early tomorrow."

Tifen yawned, "Yes, sir." The fourteen-year-old rolled himself over and immediately fell asleep and not long after, Lea's snores through the room.

Sora gave a chuckle, thinking back to the rough training Mikasa always put him through. "Yeah..." He murmured some. "Good idea..." He sighed as he laid back.

 _Where the hell is Riku? Is he coming back soon?_ Sora blinked his eyes, frowning. Why the hell did he care anyways? He was an asshole!

 

-x-

 

The air was cold as Riku walked behind the cabins, the darkness covering his abnormally white hair that always made him stand out. That's why he loved the darkness. He hated being seen and noticed and pointed at and the darkness shielded him from that, gave him protection, gave him power. He sighed, _Ridiculous,_ he thought to himself. After a while, he decided to make his way back to the cabin and get some sleep before tomorrow's training.  As he walked through the doorway, he heard the sound of soft snores and almost chuckled to himself out loud.

Sora shifted and released a soft sound at the noise, eyes fluttering. "Dad...?" He muttered tiredly, pushing himself to sit up. At the sight of Riku he froze before grimacing and laying back down. He turned his bak to him, and tried going back to sleep. God, how embarrassing. Riku probably thought he was some... weak baby now, if he didn't already before.

Riku blinked as Sora shifted, "Far from it," he muttered before walking over to his own bed and quietly slipping off his shoes before climbing up and onto it. The soft snores of the two still sleeping drifted throughout the room for several moments before he spoke again.

"You know, it's okay to miss your family," he said quietly, so as not to wake the others.

Sora curled his blankets around him, squeezing his eyes shut. "Leave me alone, Riku. We gotta get up early." He muttered, not wanting to think about how long it'd be until he saw them again.

 _Well someone can hold a grudge_.

"Look," he muttered, turning over to look at Sora, "I know we got off to a bad start, you with your parents' deaths and all, so I'm sorry about what I said, alright?"

Sora nearly flinched, remembering how hard he had cried over someone else's goddamn parents. He rubbed his forehead, forcing himself to sit up. "I'll think about it." He looked at the other with a frown, "you can't expect me to just... forgive you, okay?" He grimaced. "Just...go to sleep." He sighed, laying back down. "I'll think  about it." He repeated. "Okay? Can I just sleep now?" 

Riku was about to say something but stopped himself, pausing for a brief moment. "... Fine," he said, "Fair enough." He turned over without another word, facing the wall with only the darkness for comfort. Sora closed his eyes as he relaxed, before soon falling back into a fitful sleep. The silverette was left to his thoughts as he heard another set of soft snores flow into the room. He sighed quietly, _Why the hell do I care so much about him being angry at me?_  The guilt he felt over the words he'd said to Sora that he wouldn't have thought twice about if he'd said them to anyone else. So why was Sora different? He shook his head to clear his thoughts and crossed his arms, not bothering to pull the blanket over himself, sleep washing over him in a black wave.


	10. Mutual Resistance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First week of training for Sora.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woo~ Rivalry! Drama! Action! FIGHTO!

Sora looked at the contraptions curiously, tilting his head. So these would prepare them for the 3D Maneuver gear? He could see it. He had heard stories about his fathers failure and determination, and smiled fondly at the sight.

"Sora Jaeger!" Came an angry voice, and the boy trotted towards it. "You're next, runt." The man narrowed his eyes at the small boy. "Let's hope you're not as bad as your father was." Sora moved away as he was strapped in the gear.

 _Remember what Mikasa said_ , he told himself as the soldier walked away to activate the machine. He took a deep breath, eyes closed before he opened them. Determination shined as he was hoisted up, balancing himself quite easily.

Tifen's eyes were wide as he beamed at Sora when he came back, "Wow, you're a natural, Sora!"

"Tifen Lockhart!" Instructor Shadis's loud voice called for the black-haired boy, "Get your fat ass over here now!"

"Y-Yes sir!" Tifen called and hurried over to the machine before he was strapped in. He took a deep breath and let it out before he was hoisted up. As he hung in the air, he blinked. "Hey, this isn't so hard," he muttered quietly to himself before he was let down again. He trotted over to Sora, "That was actually kind of fun."

Sora watched his friend before giving him a smile as he succeeded. "Yeah, I can't wait to get to the real action," he murmured with an impish grin, "This is all fun and games, but when we get the real 3D Maneuver Gear - that's when the _real_ fun happens." He glanced at the other before he looked over at Riku as he was called up. Riku walked casually over to the machine and stood perfectly still as he was strapped in. Once the machine started crank, he relaxed his arms and his stance, letting all of his weight focus on his hips. He didn't even sway, merely blinked and held himself there, completely frozen in midair.

"My god..." The instructor muttered to himself, "No one has ever been able to keep themselves from moving in the harness at all. Well done." Riku was lowered down and unhitched from the straps. He walked quietly back to his place, eyes set straight ahead, even ignoring Lea who offered him a high five and a bright smile as he passed him.

Lea leaned over to the two younger boys, "Jeez, what's with him?" Sora didn't answer. He felt his jaw tighten as the silverette managed to do so well before he looked away. Being jealous wouldn't get him no where, right? He just had to work harder and harder. And he did. He spent the day either training by himself, or reading on books the soldiers provided for them. He skipped dinner, holed up in his room as he read and read, studying each page. Sora was never one to read, he always said he just wasn't smart enough for it.

He wanted it so bad. To be the best, to show what he was capable of doing. Sora wanted to show who's son he was, who's byproduct he was. To make Eren proud. To make all of them proud. Riku walked into the cabin with the intention of grabbing his black gloves that he used for sword training, which he'd forgotten. But when he saw the small brunette sitting next to the candle at the desk, hunched over a book, he stopped, if just for a moment.

"... You know, there's better light outside," he said after a moment.

"I'll be distracted." Sora replied, glancing over his shoulder at the other before he looked back at his book. "Now shoo, I'm studying." He waved a hand idly, before leaning on it with a yawn.

"Suit yourself. Have bad posture for all I care," he replied casually, walking over to his bag and pulling his gloved out. He walked towards the door before stopping in the doorframe, "I don't think Corporal Levi would approve of that hunched back." He walked out of the cabin, not waiting for the boy's reply.

Sora blinked at the others words, looking back at him. How did he know? Sora had never...he blinked, looking back at his book. Did he knew Levi from eren? Wait, no that couldn't be so. Their relationship was supposed to be a secret or whatever, right? He shook his thoughts from his head, furrowing his brows as he returned to his book but his eyes drifted to the alluring brightness of outside.  _I guess it wouldn't hurt to give my eyes a break._ He stood from his chair, closing his book on his finger to keep his page as he walked outside and sat on the steps. Damn, it  _was_ bright. Sora opened his book and continued reading, his eyes pleasently relaxed in the full light as he continued reading.

 

-x-

 

Tifen panted as he ran, his breaths short, coming out in uneven gasps as he kept up with the group. It was raining. They always ran when it rained. Instructor Shadis was shouting insults of encouragement as he rode alongside the group on his horse. Lea glanced over at the younger boy before looking back at the road.  
  
"Hey, you alright there?" He asked between breaths, panting lightly himself, "We still got another mile to go."  
  
Tifen groaned, "I'll be fine."  
  
Sora ran beside his friend, panting quietly as he did his best to regulate his breathing. Mikasa ran him ragged over the years, worse than this pitiful excuse of a job. In the snow, wind, and rain she didn't let him off easy. But sora didn't mind that, he quite enjoyed it. He glanced at the others before he looked ahead, legs a tad sore from their various training, but the soreness felt... good, in that sort of 'I feel alive' way.  
  
"You know, I could carry your pack for you," Lea offered quietly, just loud enough to be heard over the rain pelting their hoods and packs. Tifen looked at the other in shock.  
  
"I am not cheating!" He said to other in quiet disbelief, "I'm not that weak." Lea shrugged as they continued their run, finally coming to a stop at the storage house. Tifen trudged to the steps but wouldn't let himself sit down. Instead, he put his hands on his knees and hung his head until his breath returned. The black-haired boy glanced at his brunette friend.  
  
"How... How the heck aren't you even tired from that?" He asked  
  
Sora sighed as they slowed down before he looked down at his panting friend. "Tch, you have no idea what my..aunt made me run through. Snow, blizzards even. She never slacked off, and the punishment was severe if i didn't do as she commanded." He shrugged, "I like rain, water in general. So running in it doesn't slow me down at all." He looked down at his feet, frowning. "I'm not really sure why, but I've always had a deep connection to water." Tifen tilted his head quizzically at his friend before he took off his pack and set it away in the storage house. The three bunkmates headed over to the mess hall for dinner that night, which would undoubtedly be some kind of gruel or oatmeal. Tifen sighed as he slid into his seat at the table in the back, Lea sitting down next to him with two bowls of food, handing one to each of his friends. The firehead waved his hand in dismissal as the two tried to protest.  
  
"I don't really eat much. Gotta keep my girlish figure, right?" His smile was as wide as ever.  
  
Sora rolled his eyes "I don't eat much either, I only do if I'm gonna die. And I'm still eating." He reasoned, waving towards his bowl. As he took a bite, he was silent before he pushed the bowl aside. "Urg, nevermind." He rubbed his temple. "God, how the hell did my parents survive this nasty food? No wonder Sasha was always hungry, it sucks," he said dully, leaning on his palm as he watched Tifen eat.  
  
"How much can you possibly fit in there?" He frowned, eyeing the others stomach.  
  
Tifen paused in his eating, looking up at the younger boy and swallowing after a moment, "Well, I lived on the streets for a while, so I always ate whenever I could and whatever I did find to eat was much nastier than this." He plowed another spoonful into his mouth, "You should be greatful! Haha!"  
  
Sora made a face before shrugging, "I'm too used to mo- Corporal Levi's food. He was a great cook." He smiled some to himself, leaning on his palm tiredly.  
  
Lea's eyes lit up in surprise, "Wait, you know Corporal Levi? Not even, you LIVED with him?" His vibrant green eyes widened, "Does that mean you know all the others of Levi's Squad, too?"  
  
He looked at the other, blinking. "...My name is Sora Jaeger," he said slowly. "My dad is Eren Jaeger, of course I know his squard." He nearly laughed, "Corporal Levi is more of a parent than anything, aside from my father. The others are like family."  
  
Lea sat back in his seat, "Damn, you're so lucky."  
  
The brunette shrugged, "It's nothing special really. They're like anyone else, if the corniest people on earth." He mused before making his way off after them to bed. He relaxed onto his bed, sighing as he tugged the blankets over himself.

 

-x-

  
  
Riku walked over to the cabin, stomach empty from yet another skipped meal. He stepped through the doorframe and stopped , already hearing soft snores echo throughout the room and he chuckled quietly to himself. Sora made a small noise from his bed, curled into a tight ball.

"Stop it... that tickles..." he muttered sluggishly to himself, a dazed smile on his lips. "Nn... Stop... Riku..." He gave a weak laugh before turning to lay on his belly. "Kairi... stop... laughi..." His words trailed off from there. Riku froze as he heard Sora's quiet voice, barely able to make out the words but he was able to make out his and Kairi's name. "How the hell does he know Kairi? She doesn't even know him," he muttered quietly to himself. However, his eyes suddenly narrowed with an idea and he crept silently over to Sora's bed. He leaned over the boy and lightly ran his fingers down his sides, earning him a soft laugh from the boy, and Riku grinned. Sora gave a whispered laugh, quivering with laughter. "Riku... stop it..." he complained weakly, his arms sluggishly trying to move the others hands. "Stupid..." Sora sighed, curling into a ball. He returned to his deep sleep, snoring softly as he relaxed into his playful dream. A rare smile was on the boy's face as he slept.  
  
Riku stopped, his grin turning to a soft smile and he removed his hands, walking over to his bunk and slipping off his shoes and straps before climbing over the now-loudly snoring Lea. Riku tried to sleep, curling onto his side with his eyes closed, and failed miserably. He turned over and watched the other boys sleep, as if their already sleeping states would kickstart his own, but to no avail.  
  
Sora looked so peaceful in his sleep, as if he had no cares in the world. The soft smile on his lips was one that you would never see on his consious face. As Riku watched the small brunette, he realized just how guilty he felt for saying what he had. This kid hadn't deserved that and now, the silverette regretted it deeply. But the damage was done and Sora wouldn't forgive him so easily.  
  
Blue eyes fluttered open and Sora sat up tiredly, rubbing at his eyes. He looked around the room in confusion, wondering why he was feeling like he was being watched.  
  
"You were having a dream," Riku said quietly, blinking as he eyed the small brunette. Sora looked over at the awake boy before he faltered and nodded.

"Yeah.." he muttered, before laying back down. He frowned, thinking about the memory he had dreamt about.  
  
"Seemed like you enjoyed it," he mused, "Almost a little too much." His lips broke into a slightly cocked grin as spoke.  
  
"Fuck off, Riku," Sora muttered sharply at the silverette's comment. "It was a memory." he muttered, looking away quietly.  
  
Riku yawned, "Well, better go back to that memory then. You were much cuter with that little smile on your face." He turned over onto his other side before Sora could reply and crossed his arms, pulling his legs slightly into himself.  
  
Sora was quiet at his words, though his face was flushed red. "...Tch." He turned his back, curling into his blankets.  
  
Riku waited until Sora was asleep again before turning back over. Staring at the ceiling, he knew it was going to be another sleepless night and he allowed his thoughts to wander, often shaking his head whenever Sora drifted through his mind. He lay awake all night, his tossing and turning, causing him to be restless. After several hours, he slowly saw the darkness start to lighten and he turned towards the door, noticing the tiniest bit of light peeking through. _About damn time_ , he thought to himself as he quietly climbed put of bed and walked over to the door, opening it to peer outside. Stepping onto the deck of the cabin, he turned his head to the mountains where the sun was just beginning to crawl over.  
  
Sora had awoken just as the suns rays began to shine, used to waking up so early. "Mm.." He moaned as he stretched his sleepy bones and got up and walked to the door, peering out. "Riku? What are you doing?"  
  
The silverette started at the boy's voice, having been wrapped up in his own world as he stared over the mountains. "Watching the sunrise," he said after a moment, glancing back at the brunette.  
  
Sora hummed at his answer, looking off. "Where I live, it's prettier. If you stand on the highest peak of the castle, you can see everything," he muttered, smiling small. "But where I'm actually from... the sunrises are beautiful. The way they'd touch the ocean and reflect on the islands..."  
  
Riku was silent for a moment, "You know, you always talk about Oceans and Islands but no one even knows what those are. I know they're from the outside world, beyond the walls." His gaze drifted before settling on Sora's face. His big blue eyes that demanded forgiveness and attention, the messy, spiky hair that no brush could tame, it all reminded Riku of someone else.  
  
Sora looked down at the other before he took a seat next to him. "Well, Oceans are like... enormous masses of salt water and they cover a large percentage of the earth," he explained. "Islands are like countries, sort of, but very very small." He smiled some, happy to talk about his birth place.  
  
"Is that right?" Riku muttered quietly, almost to himself before he turned to the small brunette, "And you're from one of those countries, I take it?"  
  
"Yeah," Sora looked off, frowning, "I came here when I was... five? Yeah, five. I had no idea where I was, and I would've been killed if Eren hadn't save me. He was just a kid then, though. Barely fifteen." Riku was silent for a moment, debating whether to end the conversation or to continue, the conflicted emotions inside him and his lack of sleep was not helping. He decided why not humor the kid and took a deep breath.

"I was always behind the walls. Even when I was a year old, I remember the colossal titan appearing in a flash of lightning behind the wall an the screams that could be heard as the debris crushed dozens," he paused, blinking the memory from his eyes after he realized the emotion creeping into his throat and he swallowed. He looked back to the sunset, "I guess we both got pretty messed up when we were young." He stood and cracked his neck both ways before walking inside, "Get ready, we have training in a few hours."  
  
Sora listened to the other silently, "I see, I guess you're right." He muttered before standing to walk in. The others were sluggishly awake, just mumbling idly into their pillows before Sora grabbed his pillow to hit his friend. "Wake up, we gotta get ready." He mused, grinning up at the groaning boy.  
  
"Augh...!" Tifen groaned as the surprisingy solid pillow smacked him across the head, "Ah- I'm awake! I swear!"  
  
"Doesn't look like it." Sora mused, chuckling as he watched the other before turning away to get dressed in his own clothes. Riku was already waiting in line before the others finally arrived and he huffed as he watched them line up a few people behind. Sora waited impatiently, rubbing at his stomach as it strangely growled angrily. He was rarely hungry.  
  
"The instructor's gunna think your talking back if you're stomach keeps that up," Lea murmured humorously with a snicker.  
  
Sora looked over at the other, before shrugging. "I can't help it."  
  
Tifen looked as if he might faint, "Goooood I'm soooo huungryyy..." 

Riku sat at his table, watching the three exchange jokes as they moved along the line. He spooned another mouthful of the gook in front of him halfheartedly, his eyes half open as his mind drifted. Sora chuckled at the lame jokes the two told, rolling his eyes as he did.

"Your jokes suck," he mused, nudging Tifen playfully before turning to grab his share of food and walking off after Riku to sit down at a quiet table to eat, while the others followed suit. Like a row of ducks, almost. Riku started slightly at the sound of his bunkmates sitting near him. This was rare. They usually sat a their own table while Riku sat in the back by himself. Sora glanced at the boy before looking back over at his friends, laughing quietly at what they said.

"What do you think, Riku?" he quesitoned, looking at the other.

"I think that's ridiculous," the other muttered, "stealing meat from the higher-ups. Honestly." He shoved another mouthful of the tasteless mush into his mouth and cringed. It was like they were feeding them flour and water. Sora nodded, watching him for a moment before smiling a little and looking away. He wasn't...going to forgive him so easily, but...He sighed. It felt too weird, being angry at the boy. As if, in a way, he was being angry at himself. It just didn't feel right. Riku quietly stood up from his chair and moved out from the table, heading to stack his forcefully emptied bowl onto the rack.  
  
Sora glanced at the other curiously before finishing off his food, turning to the other two in front of him, "You guys ready?"  
  
"Hell yeah," they responded in unison.  
  
Sora laughed lightly at Lea and Tifen, rolling his eyes as he stood up. "Alright then, let's get going. Training awaits."  
  
"Joy," Lea replied sarcastically as Tifen jumped up.  
  
"Yes sir!" The midnight-haired boy responded before they all filed out with the rest of the trainees. Sora followed after Riku, his smile falling into a stern frown before he got in line with the others. One hand placed securely over his heart, in offering to the 'king'.

 

-x-

 

Riku stood before the bulletin board for the recruits that usually posted the news and updates, staring at the unfamiliar paper that hung in the middle with a rather empty sign-up sheet underneath it. Tifen walked over, his black hair that was now down past this shoulder was pulled back in a ponytail, a few stray hairs framing his face.

 

"What're you looking at, Riku?" He asked his bunkmate. Riku didn't look at him.

 

"Three Week Observational _Retreat_ ," the silverette read aloud, " _An opportunity for high-ranking recruits to get to know their future Corps."_

 

Sora ran a hand through his wet hair, shaking droplets off before looking at the two curiously and approaching them.

 

"What's up?" he looked over Riku’s shoulder at the bulletin board in wonder. "Higher ranking?" Sora tilted his head curiously. "Hey, that means I can join," he mused before nudging Tifen. "Maybe next time," the brunette laughed.

 

"Thinking about joining?" Sora asked Riku, a hand on his hip. "I already know what I want to do, but a break from this place sounds pretty interesting," he reasoned, shrugging. "And I'd get to see my parents, if I'm lucky."

 

Riku turned from the board, walking towards the exit of the mess hall, "I already know what I'm doing as well, so I have no need for that." He turned to Sora, eyeing him playfully, "And you know, Tifen seems like a goof but he's actually very good at hand-to-hand. He qualifies for that program. As does Lea." He nodded in the direction of the firehead who was chit-chatting with others from their training group.

 

“Ugh, you could have gone with the joke!" Sora called out, rolling his eyes at the silverette.

 

Riku yawned, "Do what you want, I'm going for a walk." With that, he headed out the door.

 

 

Sora watched the silverette walk off before rubbing at the bridge of his nose in irritation. He had been trying to be friends, really but Riku was so annoying at times. He looked back at the sheet. "It says to sign up we need to talk to Shadis," he grimaced, not wanting to speak to his obnoxiously instructor. "Well, I guess it's worth it, right?" He looked over at Tifen with a small smile. Lea finished his talk with the others and walked over to the younger two.

 

"Hey, what's up guys?" He asked casually.

 

Tifen scowled playfully at Sora, "Sora's being a meanie! He thinks I'm not good enough for this high-ranking trainee program." He whined, gesturing to the bulletin in front of them.

 

Soda looked at his fiend and scoffed, "I was joking, jeez." He pushed the other lightly, knowing that Tifen, at his size in comparison to sora, could trample him over. "Anyways, I'm signing up."

 

Lea laughed, "Is that right?" He pat his hand on the younger, much bigger than him, "You still got some growing to do before you join the big, bad, corrupted military, don't you?" He laughed again and this time Tifen laughed with him, nudging the smaller boy playfully before bringing him in for a hug- something he found himself doing more often than he should.

 

“Hey!" He glared up at the two, arms crossed. "You'll see, I'll be the best there is and height won't mean a thing."

 

"Yeah, you say that every time we tease you, sprout," Lea mused, waving his hand dismissively, "I'll believe that when I see it."

 

Tifen looked down at Sora with a bright smile, "I believe you, Sora! You're pretty great at everything, especially fighting!"

 

He glanced at Tifen, "I had the best teachers,” he muttered before adding his name to the list and sighing. "I'm off to talk to our instructor about details. You guys interested too?"

 

"Totally!" Tifen exclaimed and excitedly wrote his name on the list.

 

"I suppose," Lea mused before grinning wickedly, "but why should we be the only ones to suffer?" He took the pen from Tifen's hand.

 

"Lea, what are you-" Tifen started to say before he realized what the firehead was doing, "Oh NO, Lea! He will _kill_ us!" Sora looked over as Lea began scribbling before his eyes widened at the newest edition of names.

 

 

"Ooh, he definitely will. And I'm not cleaning _that_ mess up," Sora mused before starting on his way. Lea was a dead man and Sora had no business being one as well.

 

"Wha- c'mon guys! You know it'll be funny if he does it!" Lea called after his retreating friends, placing the pen down hurriedly before chasing after them to find the instructor. Tifen scolded Lea who rubbed the back of his head and grinned shamelessly at his wicked plan.

 

-x-

 

 

Riku walked along the outskirts of the training ground, the sky falling dark as the sun set below the walls. The air was relatively still, only a light wind tousled the silverette's hair as he walked up to his cabin. He heard a chorus of voices arguing - nothing unusual, but as he stepped up to the door they fell silent, causing Riku's brow to raise.

 

"What?" He asked at the three looking at him. Tifen looked away, fidgeting with his fingers. Lea cracked a smile and turned to face the wall before he broke out laughing.

 

Sora snorted as the other walked in before sitting on his bed. "Lea added your name,” he said with no sympathy in his voice. It held the tone of someone wanting to see someone hurt, if the smirk didn't say enough. "And we went to talk to our instructor, he says we leave in the morning to start our retreat. So I'd pack up!" He chirped to the light haired boy.

 

Riku was silent for a moment before his gaze slowly turned to Lea, eyes shadowed darkly by his bangs that could not hide the contempt in his green hues.

 

"Eh? What did you do now, Lea?" Riku drawled angrily, "I must have misheard Sora because for a minute it sounded like he said you added my name to that god-forsaken list." He took painfully slow, purposeful steps toward Lea as he spoke before his face was shoved right into Lea's, their eyes only centimeters apart. Lea's grin turned sheepish with a hint of fear with Riku was so close before an idea to (temporarily) save his skin crossed his mind. He reached up and traced a finger down the silverette's cheek.

 

"Aww, what're you gunna do about it, big boy? Punish me? Mmm, kinky," he drew his lips dangerously close to Riku's as he spoke, sending an uncomfortable shiver up the other's spine. A moment of silence. Sora watched the two as he peaked his clothes before blinking at the weird position.

 

"Uh, guys? This is getting weird now..." Sora said awkwardly before closing his suitcase. "It's added and that's that. So pack and stuff already." Riku's eyebrow twitched and he retreated from under the bed, grumbling to himself and glaring at Lea as he packed his clothes back into his suitcase. Lea chuckled, all signs of the awkward flirt gone as he began to pack his own things. Tifen was already packed, as he liked to keep his clothes in his suitcase anyways instead of using the drawers. Sora sat on his bed, jittery feelings filling his stomach. He'd be happy to see his family, beyond overjoyed, even. But would he? He didn't know and he didn't dare ask the commander.

 

"Ah, I guess we should sleep then. Having to wake up early and such,” he muttered.

 

"Do what you want," Riku grumbled, "I'll be right back." He quickly moved out the door and away from the cabin.

 

Tifen blinked, "What's with him?"

 

"He's obviously angry," Sora grumbled as he laid down, curling by his pillow. "Whatever, go to sleep. "

 

Tifen shrugged, "If you say so." The older boy curled under his blankets, snuggling against his pillow. Lea yawned loudly, stretching out on his bed as he tugged the covers over himself. It didn't take long for Sora to fall asleep, curled against his pillows and blankets.

 

-x-

 

Riku returned to the cabin, the air chilly as he walked through the night. Entering the door, he heard the soft snores of his cabin mates, a sound so familiar to him now that he thought nothing of it but chuckled. Sora shifted at the sound of the door opening, blinking his eyes open as he looked up at Riku.

 

"You're back," he grumbled, rubbing at his eyes. "Mm. It's late."

 

"Yeah," Riku responded, "Sorry I woke you." He walked over to his bed and took off his uniform jacket, boots and 3D maneuver gear straps before crawling over the loudly snoring Lea and into his own bed

 

"...What were you doing?" Sora asked, watching the other quietly, "I mean, we're not really supposed to be out so late. You'll get in trouble, won't you?"

 

 

Riku huffed, "I do as I please. Besides," he paused for a moment, "I like the darkness. It's... comforting." He slid under his covers and turned his back to Sora, not wanting to continue the conversation. "Go back to sleep since we have to leave early anyways." Sora frowned as the other turned his back to him before he sighed. He had tried being a friend, but the boy wasn't responding. He sent a glare at the stubborn silverette’s back before he laid down and grumbled a soft “good night”. Riku's eyes stared blankly in the darkness. He knew Sora was trying to be nice, he did, but he was always so independent. He'd never really had friends except for Kairi and that was only because she'd forced him to talk to her. That and they used to practically live together. He didn't know how to make friends on his own.  Not a single clue.

 

-x-

  

Tifen groaned at the feeling of being shaken, cracking an eye open and squinting in the darkness at the silverette attempting to wake him. 

"Get up," Riku said, not even bothering to be quiet, "Time to get ready." He moved over to Lea's bed and shook him as well but it wasn't as effective on the firehead as it had been on Tifen. Obviously annoyed and impatient, Riku (lightly) kicked the boy in the ass. "Wake the fuck up, Lea." 

"What's your deal, man?" Lea replied sluggishly, "The sun ain't even up yet." 

Riku huffed, "We have to be at the wagon station by sun-up so get out of bed and get ready." 

"Tifen!" Riku grumbled angrily, turning back to the now-snoring teen, "Wake. Up!" He grabbed the boy's shirt and tossed him the short distance to the floor, causing a yelp from the startled boy. 

"Ack!" He yipped before rolling over, "Riku, you jerk!" Lea was laughing his ass off in his bed. Sora jerked awake, eyes wide at the yelling. He looked down at the boy on the floor, frowning. He shifted to stand up, stretching his back before he began to get dressed in his clothes. 

"Do you know what section we're visiting first?" He asked the three. Riku glared at Lea, who silenced his laughing except for silent fits of giggles, before responding. 

"First the Garrison, then the Military police and finally the Survey Corps," he grunted before walking over to his suitcase, "We've got less than thirty minutes to dawn and a long walk to the wagon station so hurry the fuck up and let's go." He was, by no means, excited for this program. A week in each branch cut three weeks from his training and that's what pissed him off the most. Sora said nothing, just grabbed his suitcase, slipping Eren's necklace around his neck and into his shirt before he moved to the door, waiting for the others. 

"Let's go, you lazy sacks of ass!" He shouted into the cabin from the doorway, "You signed up for this shit, now get to it!" With that, he turned and walked quickly off the deck and towards the wagon station, not bothering to look behind him if the others were following. Sora followed out after him, carrying his suitcase beside him as he followed Riku. 

"You guys okay?" He looked over at his friends, watching their exhausted expressions.

Lea chuckled, "Oh just dandy, Sora. Nothing like a cheerful wakeup call from our gleeful, silver-haired friend." Riku's brow twitched at the mention of his silver hair but he did not turn around, only picking up his pace a bit. Tifen just sighed heavily and trudged along still half asleep, as usual. 

"Leave him alone." Sora rolled his eyes. "It's bad enough he's in a bad mood because _you_ put his name on the list." He grumbled, before looking over at the others gathered to go as well. As they reached their destination, Riku dropped his suitcase to the ground and took a stance of waiting, his finger tapping impatiently on his arm. A very tall, older-looking teenager with longish, spiky brown hair came over once he saw the group. 

"Hey, you guys are all in the top ten percent, right?" The teen asked before turning to Riku, "Hey moonshine, why the long face?" 

"Shut up, Leon, I'm not in the mood," Riku replied irritatedly. If looks could kill, Leon would have dropped dead on the spot but instead, he just smirked. 

"Aw c'mon Riku, I'm just teasing." 

Sora blinked as he came to stand behind Riku and stared at Leon in wonder. He looked... familiar, the hair, the eyes, the... scar. Looking away, he frowned as he tried to remember. _Leon_ … He was probably a friend of Cloud. That's what Sora was getting, at least. The name kept reminding him of the blond man, like they were connected somehow. 

 _But how does Riku know him?_ The brunette thought to himself. 

"So Riku, who're your friends again?" Leon asked, gesturing with a nod at the three boys behind the silverette, "Well, actually, I know that annoying ginger in the back." 

"Hey!" Lea cried in mock disbelief and hurt, "You know you love the hair, Leon." 

"Sure, sure," Leon responded with a roll of his eyes. 

Sora glanced at the brunette, keeping silent before he decided to speak. "I'm Sora Jeager." He muttered, before becoming quiet yet again. 

"Tifen Lockhart," the black-haired boy mumbled sleepily. Leon glanced at Lea quickly. 

"Oh, no! You ain’t getting an introduction out of me!" Lea growled playfully, crossing his arms together. 

He glanced at the loud redhead warily, frowning. Why was he so loud so early in the morning? Damn, his ear was ringing. He gave a sigh before shifting beside Tifen. 

"Calm down, Lea," Leon grumbled back before ignoring the firehead's glares and turning to the younger two. "So you're Tifen and Sora, you said? Hey," he bent down to peer curiously at the taller, midnight-haired boy, "You look a lot like Corporal Fair." Tifen's eyes widened at the comment before he closed his eyes with a bright smile, "Ah, I don't know who that is, Mr. Leon. My last name is Lockhart." Riku thought his smile was almost abnormally wide, like he was trying to cover something with it. 

"Corporal Fair?" Sora looked at the brunette curiously. "He works for the King, doesn't he? My father's spoken of him before." Sora paused, before returning to his quiet self once more. 

"Yeah, that's right," Leon replied, straightening up, "He used to be in the Military Police but because he was such a great soldier, the king employed him to guard his fat ass." 

Sora chuckled at the rude remark, "I suppose. I'm sure he's a great soldier." 

"He's the greatest," Tifen said loudly, "That's why they promoted him! That's why you... never see him." The boy trailed off slightly at the last remark. 

Sora looked at the other with a small frown, a hand on his shoulder before he sighed softly. "Shouldn't we be going now?" 

Right on cue, the instructor's loud voice boomed over the station, "Alright maggots, load up and let's go! Our first stop is Wall Rose an the Garrison, where you'll be spending your first week on this lovely little vacation!" He sneered at the last words before climbing into the lead wagon. Sora walked away from the small group before climbing onto the wagon and taking a seat in the neater area. He didn't want to sit on splinters if he didn't have to. Riku threw his suitcase into the luggage wagon with the others before climbing in after Sora, Lea and Tifen doing the same. Surprisingly Leon climbed in with them an within seconds, him and Lea were arguing playfully with each other. Riku sighed and stared out the back of the wagon, thinking how it was going to be a very long three weeks.


	11. The Garrison

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sora's week at the Garrison and the first week in his three (chapter) week programs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yaaay let's throw more kingdom hearts characters in the mix because WHY NOT (I'm making up for all the horrible, traumatizing shit I'm gunna put you guys through later. Plz stay with me here) You are going to choke on some kind of organ before you are done reading this chapter. I know I did, and I wrote the damn thing!

Riku groaned inwardly as they were led by the training instructor to the Garrison barracks. The large building reeked of alcohol and drunken laughter could be heard inside. The silverette wasn't sure he wanted to even go into the building, let alone follow orders from those inside for a week. Sora stared at the building dully, remembering what his father had told him about the officers in there. 'All drunken idiots' he had said. 'When Maria was breached, they ran around clueless like headless chickens!' Sora shook the thoughts away before he moved past Riku, walking up with the instructors into the building. He wasn't going to chicken out. Riku hated alcohol on a spiritual level. The very scent made him want to vomit up the stale bread they'd been given on the wagon. He took a deep breath and mentally prepared himself for the hell that was going to be that week before continuing after the others into the building. 

"Ew, it smells yucky in here," Tifen commented quietly, scrunching up his nose in disgust at the almost overpowering scent of wine and alcohol. 

"That's because alcohol tends to ruin the Garrison more than actual people." Sora said lowly to his friend, disgust on his face at the sight of the drunken men. "I do hope they have a decent commander, because they look ridiculous." 

"Ridiculous, indeed," a soft voice behind them said. Riku turned his head around to look at the tall, long-legged soldier that stood behind their group. Blonde hair swept to the side sat on her shoulder. One hand holding a clipboard, the other on her hip. The most prominent thing, Riku noticed but already knew, was her piercing blue eyes that looked as if they knew everything. "And as ridiculous as they might be, they're good men and I don't tolerate badmouthing of my troops. You would be wise to remember that on your stay here," her smile and soft voice never faltered as she spoke but Riku knew how serious she was. 

"Ah!" The instructor exclaimed as he turned around upon hearing her voice, "Commander Naminé! A lovely sight, as always!" His loud voice echoed in the hall, drawing the attention of the happily drunken men spread about the room.  

Sora turned his head to look at the woman and blinked in surprise. She was quite pretty for someone who worked in this mess. He didn't seem guilty about what he said, considering the ...harsh environment he was raised in. His 'mother' always complained about people, though with worse language. The soldiers always complained about each other, so...It didn't really bother Sora to do the same. 

Sora looked at his instructor before glaring at him discreetly. Of course he always treated them like shit, but when he saw a pretty face he would get turned around. He shook his head, trying his best to ignore the stench of alcohol. 

The young blonde looked up at the sound o her name and smiled, "Instructor Shadis, sir. You're looking well, sir, and as loud as always." 

"Well, Miss Naminé, I have to be loud for these deaf, half-awake slugs I tote around," he replied back. 

"Slugs, are we? When we always have to wait around for your lazy ass?" Lea muttered to himself; However, the instructor heard him and shoved his face right into Lea's. 

"What was that porcupine? Maybe I should actually set your quills on fire and see how hot your tongue is then, huh?" Lea shrank into himself, putting his hands up sheepishly in defense. Sora glanced over at the boy before holding back a snort. Damn, Lea had to learn how to keep his mouth shut. He cleared his throat, lips twitching before he glanced back at Namine. She looked like Kairi in a way, with pretty blue eyes and a gentle face. But...he had never met the girl before, but he felt like...he couldn't place his finger on it. 

"Shadis," Naminé said, grabbing the attention of the instructor from messing with Lea's face, "Are these the trainees that signed up for three week program?"

"Ah! Yes, they are ma'am. Straight from the 134th group!" He exclaimed. Naminé just smiled. 

"Well, I can take it from here, Shadis, sir," he smile never faltered. 

"If you insist, Miss Naminé," he saluted and left the building, heading back to the wagon that would take him back to the training grounds for those who did not sign up for the program. Naminé walked around their small group and stood in front of them before leading them off to the building in which they would be residing in during their stay. 

Riku opened the door to room 404, the room he, Sora, and Tifen had to share, as each room only had three beds. When they had been deciding who would part from the group, Lea offered to give up his spot so that Tifen could stay with Sora and (much to the silverette's dismay) Riku. When Tifen and, surprisingly, Riku tried to protest, the forehead had waved them off, saying he'd bunk with Leon. Riku threw his suitcase at the bed in the corner without a second thought to ask who wanted which bed. Tifen clambered over to the middle bed and flopped down, thankful that Naminé had given them the rest of the day to settle in. He quickly fell asleep, still fully clothed in his uniform. Sora made his way over to the remaining bed by the window, and quietly sat down. Slipping a match from in his suitcase he lit a small candle before grabbing some pieces of parchment to write a letter to his family back home. 

 

-x-

 

 "Oi!" A loud voice with a loud knock on the door, "Get up newbies, time to face the day!" Recessing footsteps followed another successions of knocks. Riku sat up wearily, slightly disoriented from the surprising amount of sleep he'd gotten the night before. He slid off the bed he didn't want to leave, standing next to Tifen and shaking the midnight-haired boy awake.  
  
"Tifen. Tifen get up now."  
  
Sora flinched at the loud voice, rubbing his eyes before he sat up tiredly. What the hell was that? He sighed, feeling for the candle before he lit it. Light poured into the room, though just a dim flame. "What a morning call." He grumbled as he got onto his feet.  
  
Tifen groaned, "Just five more minutes, mommy." Riku's eyebrow twitched and he reached over and ripped the covers off the teen harshly, surprising the black-haired boy. He tumbled off the bed with a yelp, holding the back of his head before laughing as Riku shook his own.  
  
"Honestly Tifen, you'd think you'd be used to this by now," the silverette said as he placed a hand on his hip. Sora watched the two curiously before he opened up his suitcase and pulled out a uniform.  Riku did the same, grabbing a uniform from his suitcase and tucking his gloves in his jacket pocket before running a comb through his silver hair. Tucking an annoying strand behind his ear, he strapped on his belts and set off, not waiting for the other two. He headed to where they were told to meet the previous day after the rather long tour, courtesy of Commander Naminé's  chief-captain, Cid Highwind. The aged veteren had quite the pair of lungs as he rambled on and on during the tour of his own battle stories, usually throwing and insult to sragglers or rude trainees. Riku was ony slightly annoyed by that fact, but what really bothered him was the man's accent, which made him jumble his words together and the silverette had a hard time understanding him for half the tour. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. He didnt want to space out now, he just wanted to get this first week over with quickly.  
  
As Sora followed his team members to where he met with the officers, he caught sight of captain Highwind. Something felt nostalgic about talking with the aged man, almost... right. It hurt Sora a little, not knowing what the problem was. But he did know this: this Cid Highwind man was someone Sora was supposed to meet, like fate of sorts. And now that he had, it was as if a puzzle piece had fit itself inside him, like a piece of his lost memories had retuned to him.  
  
Tifen followed Sora - the only thing he really did since joining the military - until he spotted Lea and ran up to him happily.  
  
A huge smile was spread across his face as he greeted the sleepy firehead, "'Morning Lea!" Lea turned at the call of his name, looking down at the younger trainee.  
  
"G'morning Tifen," he yawned, covering his mouth with one hand. Lea repeated his greeting to Sora before he called Riku over. The other (grudgingly) walked over just as Commander Naminé arrived, clipboard still in hand.  
  
"Alright everyone, attention, if you please. Today we're going to do a little training exercise with the program trainees. Just basic things but everyone under captain Highwind and captain Wallace are required to participate." Several groans and muttered complaints were heard around the room but a quick tap of her pen on her clipboard from Naminé shut them all up. "Please meet at training field B, behind the dormitory in one hour. Dismissed." With that, she quietly walked away and out of the room, leaving the two bamed captains to gather their soldiers and the trainees.  
  
Sora looked over as the woman spoke, keeping quiet as she did. She was almost like a ghost in a way, small...delicate, barely seen with how small she was. But when they made themselves known, they could be quite intimidating and scary, not that Sora believed in them. He gave a small sound as she walked away, sighing some. He wanted this week to be over with so they could visit the survey corps already.  
  
"Alright welps!" Captain Cid called, standing up as he addressed the trainees, "get yer breakfast and head on out to the field. That'd be first left after you exit the mess hall and exit the building from the back entrance." Sora looked over as Cid spoke before he went off to eat quickly and go meet with the captain for their training. Lea and Tifen grabbed a bowl of food each and sat down at a nearby empty table with a grumpy Riku, who muttered as he ate the higher quality food than they were used to. Leon came over to sit with them, not having many other companions who joined him in the program. By the time the boy sat down sora was getting up. He licked his lips as he threw the disposable bowl away before traveling off to where he was to meet with the captain.

"Well someone's eager," Lea chuckled as he watched Sora rush out of the room, "Cant blame him since he was the one who signed up first."  
  
"Oh yeah, cuz this program is all sugarcanes and rainbows," Riku mumbled before he got up and threw away his empty plate, his walk tight and shoulders ever so slightly rigid as he left for the training field.

Tifen munched on his food quietly as he watch Sora an Riku walked out. A passing thought about how they knew each other before joining the military passed his mind, but he quickly waved it off. He turned his attention to Lea, who had just asked him a question. "Hm?" He hummed not wanting to speak with his mouth full after much scolding from Sora over the past few months.  
  
"I said dont you think it's weird how the garrison and military police alway get away with drinking whatever they want and eating meat? Not just regular meat - high quality bull meat. That's king's food right there." He took a heaping bite of half-mashed potatoes, his brow furrowed awkwardly as he lazily held his spoon and looked at the ebony-haired boy.  
  
"Yeah, I think you're right," Tifen responded after he'd swallowed.  
  
"They must have connections in the black market or the king's court," Leon commented, taking a sip from his glass casually.  
  
Lea turned to him excitedly, "that's what  _I_ was thinking!" His grin couldnt have been wider as he smiled at the brunette and Tifen felt a jolt pass through him. _W_ _hat the hell was that?_ he thought to himself before he tried to shrug it off. Tifen continued to watch the two converse before he finished his meal and threw away his garbage with the rest of the group as they headed out to the field.

 

-x-

 

Sora looked at the training field in curious wonder as he walked off to where Cid instructed, a small smile on his lips before he looked over the area. It wasn't like the one at their training grounds but it was still rather good. Sora looked over at Riku as he approached the boy, and he gave a small wave of sorts. Their relationship was still shaky, even though something in Sora told him they could be much closer. They could have been friends for all he knew, close friends...like the silver boy from his dreams. Or memories, for all he knew. He really didn't as much as he knew he wanted.

Riku nodded in response to the boy's wave and stood beside him as they waited for the captainsto start the training session. Sora stood awkwardly, frowning some as Riku was silent again. How troublesome. He gave a soft sigh, hands in the pockets of his pants as he looked off quietly. The brunette had been feeling empty recently, like large pieces of him were missing. And it hurt him. A lot, actually. His heart didn't feel complete even though he had a family, a friend even. He was training, just like he had always wanted. What more could he do?

The silverette knew somethin was wrong, he could feel it in the air - A broken tension. He furrowed his brows slightly, why could he feel this? He glanced down at the brunette beside him. Sora's face was scrunched up, whether in anger or hurt, Riku couldn't tell but, for some reason, it concerned him greatly. He glanced back up at the large clock on the Garrison building.  
  
"Hey, Sora," he said. Sora blinked before looking over at the silver haired man with his bright blue eyes.

"Yeah?" He murmured quietly, eyes holding a glaze of curiosity.

"You okay?" The question was nonchalant, almost as if he was trying to bring himself to care about the smaller's well-being when in reality, it bothered him greatly that the other seemed to be suffering silently. "You seem tense."

Sora shrugged, looking off at the green grass. "I'm not, I guess. I just... feel empty." He muttered, hair rustling with the wind. "Like pieces of me aren't there. I never even noticed that they weren't until I started meeting... all of you."

" 'All of you' ?" Riku echoed in inquiry.

"Yeah. You, Lea and Captain Cid, as well as that brown haired man, Leon. You're all too familiar, and it's frustrating because I don't know you. But, somehow, my heart does." He held a hand over the beating organ in his chest. "And I feel as if... I'm becoming complete each time I meet someone I recognize, like puzzle pieces are falling into place." He rubbed the palms of his hands into his eyes. "But none of you recognize me and it hurts. I don't know why but..." He sniffled, hands tuning into fists. "And the worst of all is my parents."

Riku glance down at the boy on the ground, silent for a moment. "I don't know what you're complaining about. You've got a beating heart that is strong and cares for others. That's more than most men in this military have." He turned to look at the sun shrouded by the clouds, "More than what most humans have, even. Even if you hurt whenever you meet a familiar face that doesnt recognize you, you're strong enough to go on and meet even more because you care." He looked down at Sora, his bangs casting a light shadow over his eyes. "Your heart is vast, Sora, like the sky, and you let every person into it simply because you can. And you are the sun that shines light on everyone's heart." _And I am the darkness that hides from the sun and the glaring eyes of others,_ he added to himself in his mind. The younger boy blinked his large eyes before he looked up at the silverette. _Does he really mean that?_ His eyes were wide and teary eyes before he looked off.

"That's what he would have said to. The Riku I know," he said, running a hand through his hair.

Riku gave a light chuckle, "well, everyone's heart is connected. From what you said, you have a strong connection to another who looks like me and shares my name. Perhaps that's why you and I met." His lips smiled crookedly at the brunette sitting below him and he held out a gloved hand, "Now get up, training's about to start." He furrowed his brows before he shifted before he turned to grasp the others hand.

"Thanks, Riku," he muttered before allowing the other to haul him up.

Tifen trotted over to the two, waving. "Hey!" He called before he stopped in front of them. Lea and Leon followed more slowly. The clock stuck the hour and bonged several times before it was silent again. Captain Wallace called attention to the trainees and the Garrison men.  
  
"Alright you lot! It's time to train! The excercise our lovely lady has given us is a combat exercise! Everyone is to pair up with one other and practice their physical combat moves. Do you all understand?"  
  
"Sir!" Answered a chorus of voices.  
  
"Excellent. Get to it!" The captain shouted before stalking off to stand next to captain Highwind. Sora stood straight on his feet before he blinked his eyes at the orders. As the man trotted away he looked at Riku quietly.

"Want to be partners?" He asked lightly, practically holding his breath at the answer.

"Yeah, sure," was the response as Rik walked off to a clear area, waving once at Sora to follow him. Sora moved off after Riku, beaming as he took position alongside him.

Tifen looked at Lea expectantly once the captain was finished, "Can we be partners, Lea?" He asked. His question was returned with a grin from the firehead.  
  
"You bet kid!" Lea responded and ruffled the younger's hair. Leon waved his hand. "I'll catch ya later than, a friend of mine is waving me over." He turned and walked off in the direction of a girl with shoulder-length blonde hair and unusually spiky bangs who was casually waving him over. Tifen's gaze followed Leon as he walked away and he almost felt... glad that the other was gone. He knew he shouldn't feel that way since Leon was such a nice guy but he didnt like the way Lea looked at him. He shrugged off the thought and turned to Lea, who he followed happily to a clear area near where Sora and Riku were about to begin their mock duel.

Sora looked at Riku, and a strange feeling settled in the pit of his gut. He looked at the other with a strange look--emotions void from his face. He was ready to fight. Riku gazed at Sora, pacing slowly around him a few feet away as he inspected him like a lion circling his prey. He had to admit, his look was that of a fighter. But Riku didnt like that look, it took away all the emotion he liked to see in Sora's face. He bit the inside of his cheek lightly.  _This isnt the same Sora from moments ago. He's a killing machine, heartless and cold. How in the hell did he get like this?_ he thought to himself as he held the knife each pair was given. The steel glinted in the pale light, a real blade for a real fight. Sora looked down at the knife with a strange gleam in his eye before he looked over at his partner. When the shot went off, starting the match sora was still. He was watching Riku, observing him as he trailed around him. He wanted Riku to make the first move, to observe his fighting stance. Before Sora could blink Riku was behind him, binding one of his arms behind his back as he held the back of the knife to Sora's throat.  
  
"Shall we begin?" Riku murmured in the brunette's ear. He could almost hear the grin on Sora's face with his reply.

"Yes, lets," he breathed slowly before his elbow jammed into the other's stomach, allowing sora to duck under his arm and twist it behind Rikus back, the knife now against the silverette's cheek. Riku flinched, eyes slowly glancing back to the boy. Bloodlust. Riku's eyes widened in surprised and muted horror but he wuickly shrugged the emotions aside. He twisted his held arm and grabbed hold of Sora's wrist, yanking the brunette in front of him before he twisted his arm again and flipped the younger over. He held the knife yet again over Sora's throat as he held the boy down with a knee on his stomach and his free arm holding the other's down.  
  
"Calm down Sora, it's just a mock fight," he said lowly.

Something snapped inside him when he was thrown onto the floor, eyes wide and nostrils flaring. He almost...looked like Eren, when he...a loud enraged sound escapade him as his sheer force pushed the other away, hand pushing the knife away. Blood trickled down his hand as he ignored it, back flipping onto his feet as he delivered a kick to his knees. He looked crazed, like a man with nothing to loose. Rikus face was blurred in his mind, the face of his bullies, the face of everyone who mocked him. He grabbed the knife from the ground and slashed at his friend, slicing his arm before he pinned him to the floor. His grip tightened on the knife and he raised it above the silver-haired boy pinned dazily below him.

Tifen's eyes widened in horror as he watched the two exchange and Sora's flurry of attacks. He saw Sora's itent and called out, "Sora, stop!" Riku lay there, eyes wide and breath coming in gasps. His blood was pooling slowly beside him from the slice Sora had given him and his face was twisted in pain and horror as he looked at the creature kneeling above him, holding the knife-point hard against his chest.

The crazed eyes softened into Sora's confused eyes, looking down at Riku in shock and concern. "What...what happened? What did I...-" before the shocked boy could cotinue, surprised supervisors pulled him off the injured boy. "W-Wait! I didn't mean to-" He looked down at his bleeding hand, a horrified expression on his face at how deep the wound was, although it wasn't as deep as Riku's. "O-Oh my god, I... What did I... Riku - I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Riku sat himself up, holding the injury on his arm. He was trying to stop the bleeding but his hand was shaking too much. He grappled for his voice before he called out to the officials.  
  
"Wait! It wasn't his fault! It was an accident!" His voice was strained and shaken and he took a breath to calm himself. The officials stopped and looked back at him, confusion intwined with the shock at what they had just witnessed. The silverette forced himself to stand, still holding his arm. "We spar all the time but we usually use fake weapons. Sora usually gets into it but the fake weapons have always stopped him from hurting anyone. We were both careless and forgot it was a real weapon. I am very sorry, but it wasn't his fault. Please." Riku said all this as calmly as he could, hoping the soldiers would believe it was an accident. Sora looked at Riku with wide eyes as he defended the brunette . Sora felt tears in his eyes, tears of fear. He had lost control, truly lost control of himself and almost killed Riku.

Just then, one of the captains came trotting over.  
  
"What's all the ruckus for?" Captain Highwind asked.  
  
Lea quickly trotted over with Tifen following closely at his heels, "Well sir, my friends here got a little carried away with their match and they forgot they were using a real weapon ad accidentally hurt each other."  
  
"Is that right?" Cid said and he looked at the two boys, "Is that what happened?" Riku quickly nodded his head.

"Alright then," The veteren replied, "take these two to the infirmary. Quickly theyre losing blood!" Tifen trotted over to Sora as the soldiers released him and helped him up. Lea put an arm around Riku as he looked like he was about to fall over. "You boys remember where the infirmary is?"  
  
"Yes sir," the pair responded.  
  
"Well, get outta here then."  
  
"Yes sir!" With that, they quickly, but carefully, led their two injured friends off the field and into the building. Sora stumbled along with Riku and their roommates, eyes staring at his wounded hand as he tried to remember what happened. What had he done...he probably ruined the fragile relationship that was developing between Riku and him.

"Riku, I'm-I'm so sorry. I didnt-"

"Just stop," the silverette responded, "It's fine. Let's just get to the infirmary and get fix-" he stopped as he tripped and would've fallen had Lea not caught him.  
  
"Easy there, big guy. Why don't you two save the chitchat for when you're in the infirmary, yeah?" Lea said lightly as he helped Riku back up and they continued walking down the hall. Sora looked at Riku guiltily before he was silent. He felt horrible - he might even be sick and his stomach lurched. As he was brought to the infirmary he was rushed to a bed to be looked at. Riku sat heavily onto the bed as his jacket and shirt were removed by the nurses so they could look at his arm. The cut was only a few inches long but deep. It bled profusely and the silverettes breaths became fast and short as the nurses dresses his wound. He cringed in pain as they doused it with alcohol, gripping the edge of the bed so hard he thought he would leave an imprint with his hand. They quickly stopped the bleeding and bandaged the wound properly after stitching it. Riku was exhausted, all he wanted to do was sleep but he knew Sora would be worried an he had to talk to him before anything else. An image of blue eyes filled with bloodlust and an inhumane cry flashed through his mind and he shuttered, swallowing a very hard lump in his throat.

Riku was told he could go back to the field but was forbidden from participating or he could go to his room. All he wanted to do was sleep but he decided it best to see his friends who had so readily backed him up. The silverette made his way back to the field, looking around until he spotted the two sparing on the opposit side of the field. Lea caught sight of him and waved, before a small fist hit him in the shoulder ad spun him onto the ground. Riku almost choked on his laugh as Tifen quickly helped Lea up.

"Oh man, Lea I am so sorry! I thought you were ready!" Tifen stammered as Riku walked over, "Oh hey, Riku! You're okay!"

Lea brushed himself off and turned to Riku, "Where's Sora?"

"He's still getting fixed up but he'll be fine," the silverette responded. 

Tifen sight heavily, hand over his chest, "Ah, that's good. I was worried for a while with the way he was acting."

"Yeah," Lea said, "he was very... spacey. Quite unlike his usual self. Then again, what we saw before was definitely not the Sora we know." His tone was low, so others nearby could not hear him and a silence grew between them. It was heavy and weighed on their shoulders as if they were carrying buckets of salt water upon their backs.

Riku was te first to break the silence, "Well, anyways, I'm going to go back to the room and rest for a bit. I'll see you two when the field practice is over." He flashed them a quick grin before turning to leave the grounds.

Tifen called out after him, "Bye Riku! Get better soon!" Riku raised his uninjured arm in a wave but did not look back as he headed into the building, traveling down the empty hall silently.

 

-x-

 

Sora groaned softly as he came to, eyes fluttering open before he looked around in confusion. The nurses explained where he was and what they had done before he sighed softly and forced himself to sit up. His hand throbbed in pain, but he did his best to ignored it. He didn't want to seem like a weakling. Riku was gone too, sora noted. The silver haired boy...he probably hated Sora now. He would probably never talk to him again...his heart wanted to break at the sheer thought, and that was terrifying. That someone had so much control over a dumb organ. 

 _God, what the hell happened back there? I..._ He couldn't believe that he had almost done that; That he had almost killed someone so strangely dear to him. _How? Why did I do that? What made me lose control like that?_ A shaky sigh later sora moved to try and stand before he became dizzy and sat back down. Best to sit still for a while, he told himself.

Riku continued walking, his arm throbbing, but he ignored it, tryin i stead to focus on a tune his mother had hummed to him once, before the attack. He soon became lost in his own mind and let his feet carry him to the infirmary again, to his surprise. He stopped just before the door and listened. The only thing he coud hear inside was one set of lungs unevenly breathing, which he assumed was Sora's. He sighed and leaned quietly against the wall outside the door. 

"I don't understand what happened," the boy whispered to himself, before turning his attention to his hand. "I lost control but that's...never happened to me." He took a shaky, deep breath before moving to lay down and try to relax.

Riku was silent for a moment, debating whether or not he should make himself know or leave as silently as he came. Riku stood there, in the silence, waiting. For what, he wasn't certain. He was just waiting. He stood waiting for what seemed like an eternity before he heard another noise in the room. Riku decided he should go back to the room, the silence was unnerving him. He tried to push himself off the wall silently but he suddenly got a dizzy spell and stumbled slightly, putting a hand against the wall for support  and leaning against it heavily. Sora looked over at the door at the sudden thump before he moved to sit up.

"Hello?" He called out, "Who's there?" His eyebrows furrowed. "...Are you okay, at least?"

Riku waited until the dizziness had mostly cleared away before speaking.

"Fine," he called back evenly, "It's me. I came to check how you were doing." 

"Riku!" It was really him! Sora's heart thudded painfully as his eyes sat wide. "Are you feeling better? I-I didn't hurt you too badly, did I?" 

"No, I'm fine. It's just a scratch," he replied, straightening up and leaning against the wall again, "Could've been worse. It could've been a titan trying to bite my arm off." _What a lame excuse for a joke_ , he thought to himself.

"I see..." The brunette frowned, shifting as he leaned against his good hand. "I... um..." He said, flustered, looking down at lap. "I'm-I'm glad you're okay."

"Hey, don't worry about it," he replied, "It's no big deal. I'm just glad you didn't seriously hurt yourself with the knife more than you did." He brushed away a stray piece of silver hair, tucking it behind his ear and sighed silently.

"Yeah..." He looked down at the bandaged mess, frowning at the small dots of blood seeping through the bandages. "I just-"

"Hey," Riku cut him off, "I said don't worry about it. It was an accident, I understand. Let it go, alright?" He spoke almost gently, knowing the other boy must have been frightened by what he had done. "Just focus on getting your strength back."

"Yeah," He nodded, looking over at the door. "...Why don't you come in?" He asked softly, grimacing. Was Riku too...scared to come near him?

"I have to go," he replied, "I promised I'd let Lea and Tifen know how you were doing." He peeked his head in around the corner, "I'll see you at dinner." With that, he turned and disappeared down the hall, steps echoing loudly in his ears, as if he were running away from something. 

Sora parted his lips to call the other back before he remained quiet and sighed some. "Okay," he murmured lightly before giving a light sound and laying back down. Riku was acting strange and Sora knew it had to be because of him.

Riku stopped once he got to room 404, putting a hand on the wall as he regained his breath. His strength still wasnt back from all the blood he had lost and his heart was hammering in his chest. Was it because of Sora? Te brunette had looked just fine when Riku had peeked in, a little pale but nonetheless sane as any other kid. So why did the silverette feel the need to... run away? It was just Sora. What he ha done was just an accident, wasn't it? He shook his head, clearing the thoughts away before he decided that maybe he should actually go to the field like he'd told Sora ad let his friends know how he was doing.

 

-x-

 

Packing was always Sora's least favorite part. Horrible memories came with it, and even worse it left a feeling of abandonment for him. Leaving home, leaving their training section and now the Garrison. He had come to like the men here, especially Commander Cid. They had become just the tiniest bit closer, but Sora didn't want to leave a friend behind. Sighing at the moment, he looked off as he closed his suit case. They'd be going onto their next section now, but he was just happy that right after their next stop they'd be visiting the Survey Corps. 

Tifen grunted as he struggled to close his suitcase, folds and corners of clothes sticking out everywhere. With one final grunt he managed to close the suitcase, even though it looked like it was about to burst. He sighed and collapsed exasperatedly onto it.

Riku walked into room 404 and leaned on the doorframe, "Aren't you slowpokes ready _yet_? It's almost time for the wagons to leave." His moth was slightly crooked in an annoyed pout at his bunkmates slow pace. Sora looked over at the silveret.

"Yes." He said before moving to grab the suitcase with his good hand and walk towards the door.

"Just finished!" Tifen replied before sliding off the suitcase. A bad move. As soon as he was off the suitcase, it exploded open, clothes strewing themselves across the floor. "Ack!"

Riku sighed as he moved to pick up the clothes, "Oh for Maria's sake. We're gunna be late as it is." He quickly picked up all the clothes, folded them and tucked them inside the suitcase, closing it quietly and handing it to Tifen. "Let's go already," he said irritatedly, quickly walking out of the room. Sora looked over as the others clothes spewed all about the room. A laugh escaped him as he snickered quietly. The sight was comical, Tifen wide-eyed in surprise and Riku pacing about as he folded clothes with an angry scowl. Moving aside, he allowed the sivleret to leave before he turned on his heel and followed after him. 

They barely made it to the wagons on time, the horses starting of just as they reache them. Riku helped his two friends into the carriage before hopping in himself, wincing slightly at the twinge of pain in his arm. He sat down heavily beside Leon and Lea, who were shakig their heads.

"You're late," Leon commented as he brushed a spiky bang out of the way of his chocolate eyes, which quickly fell back into place.

"We thought you were gunna miss us!" Lea exclaimed sarcastically with a smirk and Riku huffed.

"We would've been on time if these two hadn't been messing around," Riku replied, eyeing Tifen. The abnormally tall fourteen-year-old shied back and rubbed the back of his head, grinning apologetically.

"Aha, sorry, sorry. My suitcase was giving me trouble," he said, ruffling his long, ebony hair.

Riku huffed, "No, you just don't know how to fold clothes properly!" 

Sora glanced over at the two, leaning back against the wall of the wagon. "How long will it take for us to get there?" He asked Leon quietly, looking over at the older boy.

"Well," Leon responded, "We're going to the Military police base on the north end of Wall Rose, so it should be about twenty minutes." His eyes grazed over Sora's face, searching. He leaned in a bit, his voice hushed while the other three bickered, "Hey, are you alright? You've been a little off since your spar with Riku." His eyebrows were knit together more so than usual as he looked at the young boy worriedly. He was only twelve after all. 

Sora blinked at the others sudden concern, before his frown deepened. When did Leon ever care about the younger? True, Sora felt something... familiar about the other, but Leon had never shown a lick of concern for Sora. Why did he, all of a sudden? "I'm fine," he responed, shrugging his shoulders. "I just want to get to the survey corps, is all. It's where I plan to go after I finish training, so I don't want to keep wasting time at the other branches."

"If you say so," Leon shrugged and turned back to the arguing threesome as Lea tried to grapple with Riku about meat. "Again with the meat, Lea?" Leon asked with a sigh. The firehead paused his argument with the silverette and turned his head to Leon.

"Well, Riku thinks it's perfectly normal for upperclass soldiers to have higher quality meat!" he complained, leaning on both hands in front of him.

"What else would you expect from a corrupt government?" Riku growled.

Lea turned back to him, "I would expect somebody to have noticed by now and do something! I swear, I'm going to work my arse off and get into the military police. Then, I'm going to fix this damn corrupted government!"

Riku just rolled his eyes, "Yeah, have fun with that."

Tiffen blinked in confusion, "Work your... what?" Lea just laughed.


	12. The Military Police

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sora and the gang's first couple days in the Military Police are pretty rough and after this week, some of them may be rethinking their decisions to join it once they graduate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's this? A brand new chapter? A monstrous update nearly three and a half years to the day later? WHAT SORT OF WITCHCRAFT IS THIS ! ? ! ?
> 
> It's called "My rp partner and I started talking again and we remembered this rp and got super stoked to start it again and continue where we left off so that's what we did". 
> 
> So haVE AT IT, LOVELY READERS. 
> 
> Chapter 12 is full of angst, conflict, snarky officials and pompous commanders, not to mention a good fight with complimentary snarky comebacks. Really, what more could you ask for?

_For a moment, Sora couldn't remember where he was. His eyes were closed, but the familiar scent of sea salt in the warm air brought a sense of ease. There was no fear, no worry. No Titans. Nothing but the smell of the ocean, and the warmth of the loose sand beneath him. Fingers ran through it slowly, slipping through the sand to further enjoy the warmth it emitted. Where was he?_

_"Sora! Wake up, you dork. You're gonna turn into a lobster!"_

_Tired blue eyes fluttered open to meet the amused gaze of his older friend, hands on his hips as his grin became a smirk. Riku...It was Riku. With his childish grin and friendly eyes reserved only for him. His bestest friend in the whole world. Sora's heart grew tight at he sight of him, as if he had not seen the boy in ages. It certainly felt like it._

_"Don't tell me you've been napping here all day."_

_"N-no, of course not!" He laughed, surprised to hear the voice of his six year old self. Sora forced himself to sit, his gaze carefully examining his small form before taking note of the vast ocean before him. They were...home, on his little island. No--their island, where they would play and explore...what had they named it? Sora couldn't remember anymore._

_"I was playing Explorer while you were with your mom, and fell asleep is all!" The words were blurted out with no control, as if they were already programmed into him. "And I don't burn, I tan!" Riku laughed, teal eyes rolling before he held out a hand to help Sora up._

_"Whatever you say, Sora," the boy teased. Sora couldn't help but smile, taking in the sight of his offered hand. It was so small back then..._

_"Thanks, Riku," he mumbled, graciously accepting his help as he was pulled to his feet. Riku's hand lingered, grip tightening some._

_"Hey, Sora?"_

_"Yeah, Riku?"_

_Sora grunted as he grip began too tight, a shot of pain running up his arm before he settled his gaze on his best friend. "What...what is it?"_

_"Please. Wake up."_

 

-x-

 

"Sora, come on," Riku muttered, giving the other a harsh shove after his numerous, quieter attempts. They were still in the wagon for the Military branch and because of a road block, they'd had to take a longer route to the inner wall, which had added almost twenty minutes to their ride. The spikey-haired boy had fallen asleep next to Riku soon after they had departed, and now that they were nearing their destination, he knew the other would want to be awake before they had to unload themselves.

The fire-head on the other side of Sora gave a small laugh, poking the face of the unconscious boy lightly, "Man, is he out cold!"

"Sweet Maria, Sora. Please." He gave one more harsh nudge that would probably knock the small boy into Lea, "Wake up."

His eyes snapped open and he awOke with a shaky sound, body tensing as he took in his surroundings. Sora could feel his heart beating in his chest, hand gripping the arm the other boy had shoved. It had seemed so real! How could it have been a dream?

"W-what? Where--" Where was the beach? And the warm sand, the sun, and-- "R-Riku? Oh--um, sorry..." the brunet's shoulders fell as he relaxed, a disappointed look on his face. "Sorry, I guess I was still tired," he mumbled, moving to stretch out his back. "Are we almost there? My butt is killing me."

"If Leon heard correctly from the driver, we'll be there in about five minutes," Tifen informed him, smiling.

"And you, my friend," Lea added, pulling a leg up and slinging an arm over it, "were out like a light." He grinned at the younger boy, ruffling Sora's hair a bit to fix the flathead he got leaning against the back of the cart.

Sora nodded slowly, another soft sigh escaping him as he gazed at the floor of the carriage as the boys chatted around him. "I guess I slept the whole ride then," huh?" He gave a soft smile. Lea's friendly touch further relaxed Sora as his smile became a lazy grin. "Heh, like you're any better, you sleep heavier than a log. Honestly, I bet you'd sleep through anything!" He poked at the others side, obviously trying to tickle him.

"You were dreaming," Riku muttered to the boy, returning to his original position against the wall of the wagon, turning to look out the back end at all the large and fancy houses with a slight yearning. "Seemed like a nice dream until the end."

"Yeah, it was a memory," Sora said lightly, rubbing at his neck. "Of the island I grew up on."

" 'Island'?" Lea questioned, his interest peaked at the mention of a new place they hadn't been taught. Miraculously green eyes turned to the younger boy with raised brows as he swatted away the other's hand playfully before a tickle fight started. "What is that?"

"He's mentioned it before!" Tifen piped up, waving an arm around to grab the firehead's attention, inadvertently snatching those of the surrounding trainees as well as the one he desired. "He said it was, um... a really-- hmm..." He turned to Sora for help, faltering on his knowledge as he'd only heard Sora mention it once or twice before early on during training.

"What's an island?" Sora echoed the question as he gave a soft hum, smiling at his friends. "Well, it's a place completely surrounded by water. There's not a lot of people who live on it, but the people who do are all really close to one another." Sora's expression softened as he spoke of his childhood home, a smile dancing on his lips. "It's so warm...and the water is so nice. The air always smells like sea salt, and the weather is perfect to eat ice cream! Or play pirates, or explore! Sometimes, my friends and I would sneak away to--" Realizing that he was rambling, Sora flustered and shut up. "I-I um-- sorry. I got carried away."

The other's were intrigued by this new place, though a few of them towards the front merely rolled their eyes and shook their heads. However, Sora's friends did no such thing, looking enamored by such a concept and wanting to know more. Tifen was about to open his mouth before the wagon came to a stop, the voice of the driver shouting from the front.

"Military Police headquarters! Now get the fuck off, you mangy rats!" He was a charming man, really. Riku could hear the Garrison commander speaking with him quietly, probably about his vocabulary choice. Tifen shimmied his way out of the wagon, soon followed by Lea and two others, grabbing their luggage as they went. Riku nudged Sora along, grabbing his own worn duffle bag before sliding gracefully from the cart. Sora found their interest to be endearing, despite the fact he had been interrupted. It was nice to know his friends believed him, above anyone else. Sometimes he doubted even Eren believed him anymore.

"How friendly," he mumbled to himself, allowing his teammates to filter out before he gave Riku a slight nod. Grabbing his own bag, Sora grunted as he forced himself to stand quickly and step down from the carriage. He took a moment to stretch his back, the satisfying pops that followed making him sigh in relief.

"Does everyone have their luggage?" Commander Naminé asked as she came around the side, clipboard still in hand. "Wonderful. Look sharp now, the Commander of the Military Police should be here to greet you soon." 

"Gosh..." he whispered to himself, eyes growing distant for a brief moment. "She looks just like Kairi..." He was quickly snapped out of his lingering thoughts at her warning, his shoulders straightening as he got into formation with the other boys, standing in a straight line with heads up high.

Riku was leaning against the side of the wagon, arms crossed over his chest and head bowed as they all waited for the next commander to arrive. He had no doubt this week would be as bad as the last, as he did know how corrupt this branch of government was. Riku watched the spikey-haired brunet with a curious gaze. Something had seemed different between them since their sparring match, but they weren't as awkward as they were before. Still, something in Riku still made him a little wary around the brunet, but something about the other also made Riku feel overly protective towards him. It was a very conflicting state of mind. When the other said Kairi's name, however, the wary feeling took over.

Leon was standing next to Lea, who was sitting on his suitcase. Tifen seemed more nervous than usual, hands pulling at the hem of his waist skirt and looking around anxiously. With the way he was behaving, one wouldn't think he was actually in the top ten of the training corps.

Lea raised a brow when he noticed, pulling a grin and poking at the dark-haired boy in jest, "You look like you're about to pee yourself, Tif. What's got you so anxious?"

The other nearly jumped out of his skin and vigorously shook his head,"N-N-Nothing!! I'm fine, haha!" He forced a big smile on his face to try to conceal his anxiety and force the other's attention away from him. Not that it worked. Lea may be as much of a goofball than him, but he was surprisingly perceptive.

"Whatever you say!" The ginger sing-songed, shrugging. But he still kept a bit of an eye on the other.

Sora gazed at Tifen curiously, if not worriedly as the boy stammered and stuttered responses to Lea's questions. He had never seen the boy so tense before. Like Lea said, he looked just about ready to pee his pants. Still, Sora reasoned the boy did have reason to be wary of this branch. As already demonstrated, they weren't necessarily known for being the friendliest bunch. Hopefully, this week would pass quickly. He didn't care for any of this. Sora knew what he wanted, what his goal in mind was. He would kill all the titans, alongside his father and comrades until he fought his way straight home. He would not rest until he saw those beaches again, with the warm sand and salty air. He'd fight his way there, until he could all of his friends that he was telling the truth. Feeling eyes on him, Sora turned his gaze to meet Riku's. What an odd boy he was sometimes, Sora concluded. He didn't know how to feel about Riku after the last week.

"What's up? You okay?" He whispered.

"Fine," The silver-haired boy replied calmly, giving the other a slow blink before tilting his head upwards to look past him, attention thankfully caught by something of more interest. The others turned as well, eyes settling on a tall male with dark silver hair untamed, hanging over his shoulders and shielding part of his face. Tifen seemed to fall completely still at the sight of the man, mouth slightly open in disbelief, his face hinted with denial. 

"Ah," Commander Naminé said with a smile, her eyes crinkling shut. A fake smile if Riku ever saw one. "Sub-Commander Kadaj! Pleasure to see you."

"Likewise," he replied flatly, returning her fake smile with a cold one. One could really feel the tension in the air. It set the hair on the back of everyone's neck standing on end. The sub-commander gave a once-over the group, eyes staying momentarily on Riku and he felt a shiver bolt up his spine, causing his face to scowl just so. This seemed to amuse Kadaj enough to widen his cold grin just a bit more. "Is this all there is? Not even all of the top ten trainees signed up?" He looked over at Tifen, who took an instinctive step behind Sora, despite being taller than the other by a solid few inches. "Or did we open up the program for any trainee who was interested?" His voice was as warm as a slow-melting glacier, "Either way, I'm a little... surprised."

Watching his eyes flick over his shoulder, Sora followed his lead and curiously straightened alongside the others, all silent as they took in the newcomers appearance. He didn't look familiar to Sora, aside from sharing the familiar taste of silver hair as Riku. Not even Commander Naminé seemed pleased to see him, her friendly attempt at a smile easily transparent. The sudden chill in the air sent shivers down his spine, a frown settling on his lips as the trainees were scanned with those cold eyes. Feeling Tifen step behind him, the arm curled behind his back loosened to grip his arm in comfort. He understood how he felt, to be surveyed and picked apart like an animal on display. No wonder he rarely heard good things about them. Still, Sub-Commander Kadaj's mocking words did set an annoyed flame in Sora's belly, which forced his frown into a scowl. The strange man made his skin crawl at the mere sound of his honeyed voice.

"Yes, sir." Namine was sharp and sweet, like a honey-coated blade slicing at a bee hive. "Where is Commander Fair, Sub-Commander?"

"Oh I'm sure you know the Commander is very busy with his work," came the cold reply, dressed up in a smile that seemed to mimic the Garrison Commander's almost mockingly. "And Queen Historia also constantly requires him to work from the castle since her coronation last year, so he often leaves some of the more mundane tasks to me."

The blonde commander nodded in understanding, though something about her didn't make her appear convinced to Riku, "Well, these soldiers have had a busy week with the Garrison. If you would be so kind as to show them to their lodging's for this week, sir."

"Of course, ma'dam!" He gestured towards the rather impressive building they'd been standing before, "Why, there's a floor in the east barracks reserved just for them. Come, children!" And with that, he turned and started to walk back the exact way he had come, both hands folded in fists behind his back. Their idle conversation meant very little to Sora, his mind drifting off as he gazed off at nothing. His grip on Tifen's arm loosened as the Sub-Commander ordered them to follow, letting go completely as they moved to neatly follow. Well...This would certainly be one hell of a week, Sora concluded. Glancing at his friends, he turned his attention to the skittish one, Tifen. He eyed the boy with a mix of worry and curiosity, a hand coming to tug at his jacket.

"Hey, you okay?" Sora asked lightly, his voice soft and gentle, keeping their conversation confined to the both of them. "You looked pretty freaked out."

"Y-Yeah, I'm alright," he muttered, grazing a hand through his hair. His eyes glanced up at the back of the silver-haired man, his face a confusion of sadness and anger before he forced himself to look away. "He just... looked like someone I knew. Caught me off guard, haha." He tried to smile a bit, succeeding in a small one. He was grateful that his friend would care so much about him, but that also made him feel guilty. The other had a lot on his mind lately, and things between him and Riku had been tense since their first day at the Garrison. Even as immature and skiddish Tifen was, he could tell.

"Oh-- well, if you ever need to talk, I'm here," the brunet smiled regardless, nodding in understanding. A hand gripped Tifen's shoulder in reassurance before Sora pulled away to continue following the others. "Guess this part of the trip won't be that thrilling," Sora murmured to the frazzled boy, an attempt to try and lighten the mood. "I wonder if they're all like _that_." Rude, arrogant and bossy? Well, the woman proved other wise. Regardless, Sora didn't have high hopes for this section. All he could wish was that the week passed quickly.

 

-x-

 

The Sub-Commander led them into the building to a rather plain hallway with stone walls and no windows and gestured to the multiple doors that acted as its only decoration. "These will be your lodgings for tonight," he said with a cold smile, "Oh and they each hold about five beds as they're rather spacious rooms. Do make yourselves at home." The trainees all filed past him and Riku immediately headed for the first door on the right, and was immediately followed by Lea, who was naturally followed by Tifen. Leon only scoffed and shook his head, folowing their ragtag band into the room. "Dinner will be in two hours, in the messhall. Down one floor and the last door at the end of the hall to your left. So please, unpack and-" The older silver-haired man gave a sly smile to the retreating trainees before he turned to walk back down the hallway. "Get comfortable." And then he was gone. Most of the trainees ignored him, including Leon who merely entered the room as if the sub-Commander hand't spoken at all.

Sora took a pause as the Sub-Commander spoke, lips pursed as he took in the sight of the oddly bare hallway. There were no medals or paintings on display? Sora always imagined this place to be as decorated as possible, considering how egotistical the officers here were. Not that it mattered, of course. Sora eyed the silver haired man as he finally made his exit, a strange shudder running up his spine. He didn't like the look on Sub-Commander Kadaj's face, let alone the tone of voice he was using. Jeez, did he have to start worrying if the guy was a pedophile? Watching his bunk-mates file into the room, the brunet picked up his things and quickly trotted after them, claiming the remaining bed with a satisfied sigh as he plopped down.

"Well, at least the beds are pretty comfortable," he mumbled, hands folded behind his head.

"True," Leon said to Sora when the other flopped down. He leaned on an end bed by the back wall adjacent from Lea's after setting his suitcase down at the foot of it. "If anything, we should be grateful they didn't stick us in the stables. I'd heard rumors that they do that to new recruits when they join the Military Police as a sort of prank initiation."

"Eugh, sounds nasty," Lea made a face before flopping down on his bed, Tifen scurrying to take the one next to the firehead. Which left the only open bed next between Riku and Leon, as the silver-haired boy had taken the bed closest to the door. 

"What-- Really? That's so unnecessary," Sora scoffed, moving to sit up and remove his coat. It was comfortable and all, but the room was pretty warm with the lack of windows or fresh air. "This already feels like a prison. I can't imagine having to stay out there." he grumbled. However, he seemed pleasantly surprised by Lea's request.

"Hey, Sora!" Lea pushed himself up, pulling his legs in to a criss-cross position and giving the brunet a wide grin, "Tell us more about your island!"

"You wanna hear more?" He gave a small grin. "Hm... my memories are a little faded," he admitted, leaning back on his palms. "Well, it was named Destiny Islands. Kind of a tourist spot, you know? People always came by to see our sunsets, and the beaches of course. We never really had any run ins with sharks or anything like that, so we had a lot of business." A lazy grin stretched over his lips.

" 'Destiny Islands', huh? So, more or less the opposite of this place," Lea laughed, hands resting on his ankles. "Sounds like a pretty nice place to grow up. What wall was it inside?."

"Basically," he mused, grinning at Lea's joke. Well, he did have a point. "Wall? Oh-- Um, there is no wall there." Sora said simply. "I've never seen walls like these before. Well, before I came here, of course. I was surrounded by water my whole life. Then I suddenly woke up in the city." His smile lessened at the memory, waking up alone and scared, being chased by titans.

Ah, good times.

Tifen rolled over on his bed, coming to rest on his stomach and propping his head on his palms, "Hey, Sora, what's a beach? "

"A beach? Well, a beach is a stretch of land by the water. It's just sand, like... really, really soft dirt. And it's sticky when your legs get wet, but it's soft and flows over your skin when you're dry," he gushed, smile returning in full. "And the water just barely reaches most of it, but just enough to let you make foot prints in the wet sand!" Sora suddenly felt like he was five years old again. He sat crossed legged, hands moving about to exaggerate his tales, eyes sparkling as memories began piecing together by the second. The boy felt...over whelmed, in a sense. His head ached, but once Sora saw the goofy grin on his friends' lips, he knew it was worth it. All the pain in the world was worth those familiar grins. 

Riku always loved hearing about Sora's island, because his friend always seemed much happier when he was talking about it. He couldn't stop himself from smiling a bit as he watched the brunet talk warmly about this island he supposedly lived on, shifting his weight to lean against the single desk that decorated the room besides the five beds. He wasn't surprised Sora smiled when talking about his island though; this world wasn't exactly a kind place to live in. Riku knew that one first hand. Really, what was it about that boy that made Riku feel so at ease sometimes? The silver-haired boy could never figure it out, but something told him he didn't want to. So instead he just watched him blabber on and on about his island to the enamored Lea and Tifen. It wasn't long before that tiny smile on his face grew to something much more noticeable - a crooked grin and soft eyes that rarely showed themselves.

Even Leon had to admit, the idea of a peaceful island was comforting compared to this hell hole they lived in.But he was too old to indulge in such wild fantasies, not that he didn't believe the kid. But wherever he was talking about had to be some place more simple that had merely been exaggerated by the other's mind when he was small. But, the tall brunet knew to keep his mouth shut. It was nearing the time they were supposed to head to the mess hall anyways.

"Hey you three, that's enough now." He pushed himself up from his slouched position, and started to walk past them, giving Sora's hair a quick ruffle on the way by. "We have to get to the mess hall soon or they won't feed us." When Leon had the audacity to ruffle his well organized spikes, an annoyed squawk left Sora as his hands swatted the larger one away.

"Ack-- hey! Come on, not the hair!" He pouted, before quickly pulling his coat back on to stand. "Well, maybe I can tell you more later," he gave Lea and Tifen a boyish grin before turning around to trot after the others. He looked so much younger then, all thanks to that bright smile.

Leon led their small team, their clamor causing the several other trainees in the next room to poke their heads out and follow. Despite being a trainee himself, everyone sort of looked to Leon as their leader or at least, someone in general to look up to. He was older, more mature, and often held the advice others needed to hear when they were beaten or down. If anything, he was like the big brother or dad of the team. He'd even given Riku a scolding once for not coming back to his lodging until the sun was up, having caught him outside when he woke up. Really, Riku didn't need another father up his ass. But Lea looked up to him a lot and even though Tifen always wanted Lea's attention and could sometimes be jealous of Leon because of it, he too admired the tall brunet. Once the others' attention had drifted off of Sora to Leon, Riku let his smile fall back to his clean composure, his arms falling to his sides as he moved to follow the others out. He fell into step behind Sora, but slowly moved to the furthest back of the line as other trainees came out and moved ahead of him. He never particularly minded. He disliked eating in front of others anyhow and he had a feeling the soldiers here probably wouldn't want to share their meals with trainees they didn't feel were worthy of their expensive and fancy meats.

There was something...humble about Leon, in the way that he did things. He was friendly but silent; Sora felt safe around him, the strange sense of peace and ease that Leon made him feel was nice. Different. It made him miss his make-shift family back with Eren and Levi, and the comfort they brought with them. Always making sure he was safe, making sure he was protected. Sort of like Leon. Yet somehow, Sora couldn't help but wonder why he felt such a strong connection to him. They rarely talked, and physical interaction was kept to bare minimum. So why did he seem so familiar?

The brunet was quiet for their uneven march to the mess hall, thoughts fading back to his island. For a moment, he wondered what they would eat back then. Images of fruits and coconuts flashed before his eyes, before one in particular seemed to stick. The fruit of fate, the very essence of their island...But what was it called? Had Sora ever eaten it before? He couldn't remember. He wasn't snapped out of his thoughts until he bumped into Lea's back, a startled sound leaving him as he straightened.

"S-Sorry Lea, my bad. I got distracted," He mumbled in apology, deep blue eyes glancing up at the taller male. Lea stumbled slightly with the sudden impact on his back, unexpected and bewildered as he turned to see Sora. The firehead straightened up with a grin, placing a hand on his hip, the other one waved through the air as he spoke in that usual flirtatious attitude he used on anyone he set eyes on.

"Come on, man, watch where you're going!" His grin only widened as he leaned forward to get slightly into the smaller boy's face, "Don't you know you need room to fall head over heels for me?" He paired that up with his signature, devious wink. The younger froze up at his flirtatious comment, eyes widening as Lea's face neared him. For a kid as tan as he was, despite having lost some of his color, his blush sure was red. Then again, Sora had never faced such a situation before! It wasn't like people flirted with him on a daily basis, let alone ever. Sora gave an embarrassed laugh, breaking eye contact as he looked down. He didn't seem offended or creeped out but almost...amused.

"Easy there, fireball," he mused, eyes glancing back up at him. There was curious gleam in them, familiar and almost mocking in that sense. "Come on, before we miss out on the food," a finger poked the redhead in the center of his chest. "Or you gonna stare at me all day?" Lea blinked at the other's comment, eerily familiar before a face flashed before his eyes with that same grin and crazy spikey hair, only blond instead of brown. Eyes bluer than the sky. There was a wirlwind of emotions all of a sudden, none of which crossed his bewildered face. Then he blinked, and he was looking at Roxas, his old best friend, instead of Sora. That is until the other poked his chest, snapping him out of his odd daydream.

He shook his head and forced on his familiar grin, running a hand through his hair as he straightened up, "Yeah, sorry! I just couldn't help myself. You're just too cute, Sora!" He laughed and gave the other's head a quick ruffle, turning and continuing to walk down the hallway, a little faster now. Once he was away from the smaller one, he let his smile drop, and his brow furrow in confusion. He hadn't thought about Roxas since joining the army, being too busy to really think of anything besides food, sleep, and training. Why did Sora remind him of his old best friend? He was dead.

Sora wasn't sure if he could get any redder, but his body felt incredibly hot and sweaty for reasons he couldn't quite understand. Lea was looking at him in a way Sora had seen before, as if looking deep inside his soul--like he was searching for something.

Someone?

Still, his flirtatious banter and charismatic grin seemed to win the younger over, as he rolled his eyes and puffed out his blushing cheeks before another snort of a laugh left him.

"Yeah Lea, sure," Sora chuckled, before watching Lea trot off. He kept his pace slow, mind reeling over what just happened, trying to process it all. Did Lea really just hit on him and call him cute? Even worse, why was he so embarrassed? He was still blushing goddammit! His hands rubbed at his face, huffing quietly as he hurried alongside the others. What had Sora gotten himself into?

"Hey," Riku said, catching up to them as Lea turned away. He was curious what Lea's face had been for; he'd never seen the other so caught off guard. It had almost looked like he was startled? No, he'd been scared. They had stopped in the hallway, and the others had all gone ahead, "If you turn any redder, the men are going to think you're the meat for the main course." He gave a small but sly smile, leaning in to Sora's ear. "Not that I'd mind. You do look pretty tender," he finished, giving the back of the other's ear a soft blow before standing up.

Sora turned his attention to the silver haired boy, a hum leaving him as he was addressed. Glancing at the empty hallways, Sora's gaze settled on Riku curiously before his eyes widened.

"I-I'm not red! I'm--" A shiver ran up his spine, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end at the soft blow to the back of his ear. "T-tender?" The boy squawked, looking very much like a fish out of water as he stuttered and stammered in awe. Had Riku really just said that? Sora wasn't dreaming was he?

"Indeed." He blinked when he noticed the other's uncomfortable-ness, looking at the other quizzically before scoffing. "Come on man, take a joke! I'm not Lea." Despite his casual tone of voice, he still ran a hand through his hair as he rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.

"I-I um--I uh--" He shook his head, hurrying after the others before Riku saw just how red he was.

The silver-haired boy watched the other scurry away and wonder if he'd really done the right thing by pulling that kind of stunt. Maybe he'd just skip dinner altogether. Go take a walk around the building and if anyone found him where he wasn't supposed to be, he'd just pull the easily-lost teenager face on them. Hopefully he wouldn't get in too much trouble then. So with that, he turned right at the end of the hall instead of left and when he came to a stairway, he went up instead of down, just basically wandering around aimlessly for a while. He avoided hallways and rooms that echoed with drunken laughter and shouts, eventually finding himself outside. It was getting dark and was a little chilly out, but he felt like he was overheating. There was a tree nearby, in full leaf and with plenty of cover that if he needed to hide from officials, he could do so easily.

So he hopped up onto that tree and found a thick branch to sit on. And there he stayed long after night had fallen, just staring at the few pretty lights that managed to peek through the foliage surrounding him. There may have been a lack of windows, but he knew by now that most of the building had to be asleep and he could sneak back to the room without running into anyone. He waited for a rich couple on a midnight stroll to pass by and round the corner down the street before dropping to the ground, heading back into the building and finding it surprisingly unlocked. He was very acquainted with the building's layout now, finding it rather simple and organized. It took him a mere seven minute walk before he was standing outside his groups designated dorm room in the dark hallway, hand expertly opening the door without making a noise.

Granted, he was surprised once he'd opened the door most of the way to find a fist gripping his shirt and throwing him to the ground and holding him there, a blade pointed at his throat. His head hit the floor hard and he felt the wind knocked out of him a bit, but he didn't struggle, recognizing the weight as Leon. And when a startled Tifen turned on the lamp on the desk, he blinked against the harsh glare only to find that he was right. The tall brunet was staring down at him coldly, grip on the knife solid but slowly loosening once he realized it was one of their bunkmates.

"It's Riku!" Lea exclaimed in a surprised voice, his face matching Tifen's bewildered one.

"Well Leon," Riku started after a sigh, "I'm sure you love finding yourself in this position, but would you mind getting off?" He blinked as his vision finally adjusted fully, soft yellow light casting weird shadows on the older male's face. "I'd really like to avoid another trip to the infirmary." The boys had already returned to their rooms, just getting ready for bed when Leon insisted he had heard something. When it was Riku that he had forced against the floor, blade to his neck, Sora released a startled yelp.

"Leon, come on, let him go," he piped up nervously. "We should go back to getting ready for bed." Leon released him without much hesitation, but then the questioning started. Leon usually kept his mouth shut after he realized yelling at the boy about staying out didn't do much. But during their stay at the military branch, he would not have any of Riku's excuses.

"What were you doing out so late?" He growled, "Why didn't you come to dinner?"

"Would it have mattered?" Riku retorted, rubbing at the front of his neck where Leon had had him pinned. "None of the officers noticed or cared that I wasn't there. They got more food to themselv-"

"That's not the point!" The taller brunet hissed, blue eyes shadowed from the light under angrily furrowed brows. " _We_ noticed. _We_ were worried. We're always worried when you disappear like that." Riku merely blinked in surprise and put his hand down to his side as the other continued. "When you fade away into the darkness and only return at the first rays of dawn. Do you have any idea how stressful it is to worry about a friend who does that?"

The silver-haired boy's reply was flat and cold, showing he was becoming angry with Leon for snapping at him when he was so fatigued already, "No one said you had to be my friends."

Leon grabbed Riku's shirt in his fists and pushed him back against the floor, bringing his angry face to Riku's; almost too close for comfort. The silver-haired boy's face remained stoic, cold enough that the temperature in the room seemed to drop. The silence that fell over the room was nearly suffocating, thickening the air like humidity before a hurricane. Even Lea's attempt to lighten the mood hardly did anything more than make Leon step away from Riku and release him from his hold.

What Leon said was true, even Sora knew that. They all cared for Riku, not because they were bunk mates or just happened to train together. He _was_ their friend. He was Sora's friend. But they were going about this the wrong way! Riku would start to feel trapped this way, like a cornered animal. No one like feeling like that.

"It's not like that," he said lightly, wanting Riku to know that. "We're not your friends because we have to be, Riku. We want to be your friends-- and to see you skip dinner and come back so late... We just worry, is all. The officers aren't here don't have the greatest reputation. I can't speak for everyone else but...I wouldn't want you getting hurt or in trouble." Sora bit his lip. "I consider you my friend and I care about my friends!" Even if he had run away like a scared bird. He hadn't meant to. But honestly, he had been so shocked and embarrassed, Sora was afraid of what he would have done. Something stupid that would have ruined their friendship. No, he couldn't risk that.

"Fine," Riku said in a low voice, "I see how it is. I'll stop going out at night and disappearing for hours on end." He ran a hand through his hair and bowed his head a bit, casting shadows over his face.

"Starting tomorrow."

And before anyone could say anything, he had slipped back out the door and down the hall, retreating to the tree he had sat in earlier, hiding himself away in its branches.

Sora's eyes widened as the boy suddenly ran off, his heart sinking to his stomach as he gave a soft sigh. Riku could be so stubborn sometimes, and hold a grudge longer than one would expect. He remembered how mad his Riku had gotten when Sora had brought Kairi to their secret cave. They had been drawing together, on the walls. Small hands gripping big rocks, striking them across the stone walls until childish scribbles were forever engraved into the surface. The fruit, they had drawn the fruits...

"Leon, maybe-" Lea started, about to push himself up from his bed.

"Don't." Leon replied calmly, cutting the ginger off before returning to his bed at the end of the room. "I only said what all of us were thinking."

"Well, yes, but maybe you could have been a bit more eloquent than that?" He was met with no reply as the tallest of their group strode past him.

Gazing at the door Riku had run out of, Sora wished he had one with him, so that he could give it to this Riku too. So that they'd forever be apart of each other's lives, no matter what. But maybe this Riku wasn't the same, didn't want the same things. A soft sigh left him before he returned back to his bed, collapsing down with a disappointed gaze. He hoped his friend would be okay out there.

The others all slipped into their own beds, the tension diffusing now that Riku has run off. And when they awoke, none were probably surprised to find Riku's bed still empty and neat, cold to the touch if anyone bothered to check. Leon walked past it blankly after getting dressed for breakfast. And even though Tifen followed suit, Lea gave the bed a worried look before he turned the same one to Sora before exiting the room.

When the brunet work up to an empty bed, worry seemed to flood his body. He was the last to get ready, as if hoping by some miracle that Riku would appear before breakfast. When he didn't, Sora gave his neat bed a longing look before begrudgingly following after his friends. He could tell some were worried too, but seemed too nervous to say or do anything about it. Sora couldn't blame them.

"I wonder if Riku's okay," he mumbled softly, hands coming to stuff themselves into whatever pockets they could fit in. "You don't think he got into trouble or anything right?" Worried blue eyes focused on Lea,as if hoping the redhead would know what to say. Lea could always cheer Sora up! Perhaps he wasn't the most experienced, but he was always the one with a bright grin. Right now, he could really use one of his signature smiles.

 

-x-

 

Riku had stayed up all night in the tree, hugging his knees in an almost child-like manner. It's not like anyone could see him up here anyways. He strangled any cries that may have tried to slip past his lips into silence, and he would deny to anyone who would say anything, that the bags bags under his eyes were not very noticeable and the skin around his eyes was, in fact, not red or irritated at all.

Granted, when he finally slid down from that tree and headed for the mess hall for breakfast, he was met with a rather cold welcome from the other military soldiers upon entry. He'd sat down at an empty table, having come in a little earlier than expected, and immediately a group of soldiers were on his ass.

"Hey, trainee, this is our table," one of them cawed, arching a brow with a sneer. "Why don't you scoot yourself off to the kiddie corner? Only big kids are allowed to sit with the adults."

"Yeah, and we don't need no pissants in the military either. Not like that little spikey-haired kid," A larger one laughed.

"They've all got spikey-hair man, which one?"

"The little brown-haired one, haha!" His blubber jiggling with every laugh as he pat his hand on his colleague's shoulder, "Man, I bet he's a total cryba--"

But the one thing Riku wouldn't deny was that it was absolutely his foot in that bastard's mouth.

The larger one went flying back a few feet and came crashing down, hard. His two pals looking over their shoulders in disbelief that such a scrawny kid could send their huge friend flying. Though when they turned back to Riku, their faces were just angry, and the whole room went silent and still. It was as if the air was charged with electricity, running through Riku and making his senses hyper-aware. He stood silent and ready to strike, poised like a viper as the other two soldiers in front of him growled like enraged animals.

"Maybe if a little kid can knock him on his fat ass," he hissed, nodding towards the unconscious man on the floor by his work, "then none of you should be allowed at the big kid's table." The other two howled as they moved to strike, finally enraged into action instead of just standing there like incompetent morons. But they were quicker than he thought, and after dodging their attacks for a while, one of them was able to pin his arm behind his back and shove him against the table, one giant foot on the back of his legs to keep him from squirming out and maybe to cause a very satisfying yelp of pain from the silver-haired boy. After the other gave Riku a few blows to the face, a pair of slow-clapping hands made them freeze in their tracks.

"Well now, are we all done with today's morning exercise?" The Sub-Commander cooed, walking with two other silver-haired men behind him. No doubt the other two spawn of Commander Sephiroth. "Oh, dear me, I am _terribly_  sorry to interrupt, gentlemen." The Sub-Commander gave them a very cold smile, eyes crinkling shut like a fox's. "But I happened to notice you two have a large abundance of energy today. I don't think you need breakfast." He snapped his fingers and the thinner man behind him handed him a clipboard with a generous amount of papers stuck under them. "No no, don't move, just give me one minute."

As they made their way into the mess hall, a startled gasp left Sora as he saw the scene unfold. Riku kicking the soldier away, being attacked by the others. For a moment, he felt nothing but utter fear for his friend.

"Riku!" He exclaimed, ready to jump in and fight the men off of him if he had to. Luckily, he didn't need to. Azure eyes turned to stare at the trio of silver haired men, eyes narrowing at their strange and striking resemblance to his beaten friend. Still, he was thankful that the officers at least stopped the attack on the boy. 

Riku's head was forced to the side, pinned against the table, where his eyes could see the horrified looks on his friends' tired faces. Especially Sora's, which seemed to make his heart tear itself to pieces with guilt. Even if he had started the fight to defend his friend's honor, he averted his eyes and focused on the woodgrain in the table. His legs were starting to go numb from lack of blood circulation and he was going to have the biggest canker knot in his shoulder blades from this humiliating position. Still, he thought it was worth it.

"Ah, yes, here it is!" Kadaj chirped, his smile widening to something more dreadful as he glanced up at the two soldiers. Riku felt their limbs stiffen in fear, almost trembling. "You're punishment for starting a fight in the mess hall and attacking a guest."

"B-But Sir! He attack Grimble first! He started it-" The silver-haired Sub-Commander had knocked the back-talking solider into the wall before he could finish his sentence, the resounding crack enough to silence the other who had been about to counter as well. The soldier's body slumped to the floor, blood now trickling from his head and down his frozen in shock face.

"And I'm finishing it." Kadaj brushed his hair back into place, holding the clipboard in front of him again. "Now, as I was saying, you're punishment for starting a fight and injuring a guest is two weeks of twenty four hour stable duty, by yourselves, and only one meal a day." He scribbled something down and let the papers fall back into place neatly. "Now. Leave. These two will join you later." The remaining soldier released Riku at once and scurried out of the mess hall faster than one would think possible for a human. But hey, fear does crazy things to people.

With his limbs no longer being held prisoner, Riku slumped to the floor, arms and legs aching and tingling with pins and needles. The arm that had been held behind his back had been his injured one from the previous week, and the excessive force had been enough to reopen it. Blood was starting to well on his arm, staining his jacket red. A portion of his sleeve was now a messy red hue. Bruises slowly began to form on his face, the small trail of blood trickling from the corner of his mouth a sign that the inside of his lip had been split by one of the punches. But his eyes held no thanks to the elder who had just saved his skin, and the room was dealthy quiet as everyone watched the two stare off.

"Now young man," Kadaj said, smiling sweetly at the younger boy, "I apologize for my soldiers' behavior. Are you alright? You're pretty beaten up. I believe you should go to the infirmary."

"Thank you sir, but I'm alright." Riku would have done anything not to go there but with his arm throbbing, blood still rushing in his ears to the beat of his hammering heart, and his legs still a little ways from being back to normal feeling, he realized he really didn't have much choice. He nodded to the other, and forced himself to stand despite his legs protesting and his sight spinning once he was up. But he held himself up by himself.

"Is that so?" Kadaj cocked a brow and smiled. "Well, I must insist you go to the infirmary." He gave the room a quick once-over, eyes landing on the band of misfit trainees still standing in the doorway and he gave them all the most pleasant smile he could. "Ah, perfect. You there, in the back. The small one with the spikey brown hair. Could you take this young man to the infirmary? You do remember where it is, yes? We passed it on the way to your dorms when you arrived."

Watching those men pin his poor friend down, pressing his bleeding face into the table...he felt anger, and hate. Hate for the men who had the audacity to lay their grubby hands on him, and anger towards the Sub-Commander for his pompous attitude towards the situation. However, he was grateful for their harsh punishments, a soft hiss of 'serves them right' whispered to himself before scowling further as Riku refused help. As if! Sora would drag him to the infirmary himself if he had to! He could see the blood pooling in his clothes, staining the precious materials a deep red. It was too dark against his skin, foreign and unappealing. Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward and steeled his expression as he stood tall at attention. His smile nearly made Sora sneer, but he kept his cool and simply saluted the man.

"Yes sir, Sub-Commander Kadaj," he responded, before quickly rushing forward to help Riku to his feet. "Can you stand?" Sora mumbled worriedly, an arm slung around his shoulder as he carefully aided Riku to his feet. "It's a short walk, so it won't take too long," he tried to sound cheerful, keeping a small smile on his lips. He had to at least pretend he wasn't ready to hug the boy to death. Riku swayed just a bit when Sora got to him, letting the other hoist his uninjured arm over his small shoulders with a grunt. He caught the concern and fear in the other's eyes, hidden underneath sweet and soft words. It really put a stake in his chest and he looked away.

"Yeah," he replied, letting the other take some of his weight. He knew Sora was strong enough to hold all of it, despite being small, but Riku had to keep some of his dignity. Lea gave his shoulder a reassuring pat on his way by, and the silver-haired boy caught the worried look on Tifen's face. He could only imagine Leon's face, scowling at him. They may have been rivals and makeshift friends before joining the army, but now that they were in it, the other seemed to take things too seriously and Riku just didn't know what to do with himself.  

Sora was at a loss for words. As he helped Riku walk out of the mess hall, he realized that his mind had gone blank. Biting at his lip, he gladly took on more of Riku's weight as he finally gave in, his arm wrapping around his waist to help carry more. If Riku would let him, Sora would have eagerly carried him himself, but he knew that Riku was just not the type to let others see that. Especially this specific branch.

Once they were out of range of sight and sound, hidden in the dreary light of the hallway, Riku let Sora take a little more of his weight, finding it easier to stand but harder to keep walking at the same time. His head was still spinning from all of the blows he had taken, and he blinked to clear it to not much avail. The silence between the two was heavier than the weight of his own body mass, which he supposed wasn't a good comparison considering he didn't have much on him in the first place thanks to the sleepless nights and countless skipped meals to go with the intense training they had to endure. But maybe, he should still say something.

"Hey, sora," he started, still trying to keep his eyes away with the guilt he felt at having the other watch that whole scene. But the boy probably didn't even care. He'd messed up too many times, said the wrong thing in one too many arguments. But he still had to apologize. "I'm... really sorry. About last night. And with Leon. And just now, in the mess hall." Sora hadn't much for such a heavy silence to fall before them, all of his concentration forced into walking and carrying his injured friend that he hadn't thought of words to say. So when Riku gave in and finally spoke, Sora released the breath he hadn't known he'd been holding.

"Oh, Riku... I should be the one apologizing for that," he grumbled quietly. "I over-reacted. I-I just..." He pursed his lips. "I got nervous, I guess. Because I wasn't ... I dunno." He shrugged, glancing up at the other. "I didn't know what I would do if you got any closer," he mumbled softly, before his gaze turned elsewhere, tan cheeks a light red. "And last night you skipped dinner after we-..." Sora paused. "Oh dammit. That was my fault!" Riku had skipped dinner because of him! How hadn't he figured this out earlier? Dammit! And here Riku was apologizing for something that Sora had caused in the first place!

"Don't, Sora. It was my own fault." Riku mumbled, "I only made you feel weirder after Lea's awkward moment. I'm not surprised at all that you ran away." The room was swaying under his feet now, but he gave his head a bit of a shake and it settled out.

"But it wasn't like that," he mumbled. Part of him had somewhat enjoyed it, Riku's closeness. Even now, carrying him to the infirmary, Sora couldn't help but feel incredibly close to him. The other half saw it was scary, the thought of ever ...crushing on the guy who resembles your best friend. It wasn't a secret that Riku was handsome, anyone could tell that. But this was his best friends doppelganger! "But Riku, what happened back there? How did you get in a fight with them anyways?" Sora questioned.

"I was... " The silver-haired boy trailed off and paused for a moment to try and reorganize his thoughts, gritting his teeth at the comments made by those asshole soldiers. "They were making fun of you. They were calling us all weak just because we're smaller than them." He glared at the floor, as if he could set it ablaze with his anger or freeze it over his hate for those assholes. "When that big guy started saying you were a crybaby, I just lost it. Maybe it was the lack of food or sleep or the leftover pent-up anger from Leon last night, but... I don't know. Next thing I knew, my foot was in his mouth and a snarky comeback was out of mine. And, well, I'm sure you saw what happened after that."

"What! Those assholes," he scowled, huffing and puffing beside the other before a soft sigh escaped him. "And you defended me?" Sora mumbled curiously, gazing at his injured friend. Sora's insides felt strangely warm, and he forced himself to look away, a small smile growing on his lips as he sight sight of the infirmary. "Thank you," he mumbled, cheeks still painted a dusty red. Even in this world, Riku couldn't help but try and protect him. Despite having been so distant in the beginning, it was as if they were bound to meet again. Maybe somewhere, his Riku was looking up at the same sky as them. And maybe he'd still think of Sora too. "Come on, let's get you patched up."

"Yeah," he replied, taking another chance at glancing at his friend. The flower of blush that bloomed on his cheeks made his stomach boil and spread warmth to his tired limbs. He turned his eyes back to the hallway ahead of them, praying the heat didn't spread to his own cheeks.

 

-x-

 

The doctor who tended him told him he had a mild concussion, gave him some ointment for his bruises after restitching his arm wound closed. His arm was put it in a sling this time to avoid another such incident, much to Riku's dismay. Then he was ordered to bedrest for the rest of the day, turning the silveret's dismay into horror. He also asked Sora to bring Riku back to his room before returning to the other trainee group. Riku was disgruntled at the whole situation, muttering intelligible curses at the bastards who beat him up and that filthy Sub-Commander who forced him here He could have taken care of himself. It's not like it was the first time he'd been ganged up on.

Sora had made it clear from the beginning that he wouldn't leave Riku's side through whatever happened. He brought the boy in, and he'd be sure to bring him back to their rooms, where Riku would be kept safe by his friends. Sora would be sure of that. Still, he found himself squirming at the sight of the doctor stitching his wound shut, blue eyes staring off at the floor. All the other procedures seemed to pass by fairly quick, and Sora was soon helping Riku limp down the halls once again. He took in all of the half-assed attempts of cursing that left Riku's lips, gazing at the older boy worriedly.

"Will you be okay?" The brunet asked as he helped Riku sit down on his bed, knowing he had to return to the others for another few hours still. He hadn't been excused from the whole day, after all. "I could try and ask if I could stay with you. I mean, you're injured and all, I don't mind taking care of you!" The boy rambled, before clearing his throat. Talking to Riku was like a double sided coin. Sometimes it was smooth and easy; Sora felt like he could talk all day. Others, he felt sweaty and nervous, like bugs were squirming inside his stomach. "I just want to help, if you'll let me."

He grunted as he was put down, feeling aches and pains all over his body, though thankfully his arm was numbed with alcohol for now. He didn't even want to imagine how much it would hurt later when the medicine the doctors had forced him to take wore off. But he could feel the wooziness they were also causing him, and sleep felt more and more like the best idea he'd ever had. But the obvious worry in the smaller boy's voice caught his attention, like a gunshot only he could hear, ringing in his ears when he looked into those oceanic blue eyes.

"I'm alright," he replied calmly, slouching over himself a bit. The hand on his good arm reached up to rub over his face tiredly. "You don't have to bother yourself with me anymore. I'll only hold you back from what little enjoyment you can derive from this trip." He didn't think the other looked convinced, his face almost looking as if he were about to cry. "What, are you gunna cry over a few bruises you didn't even give me?" He gave the other boy a soft smile, his voice calm and almost endeared. "Don't worry about me right now. Go let the others know I'm okay and continue with your day, alright?"

Sora stood a few inches away, gazing down at the slouching boy, watching his behavior and making sure that he truly believed Riku would be okay. He knew the other was tough, and thought for a moment that maybe he was being too pushy. He didn't want to drive Riku away, after all.

"I-I'm not gonna cry, jerk," the boy grumbled, eyeing Riku for another moment or so before he gave in and mustered up a small smile for him. "Well, okay. If you say so." He took a moment to dust himself off and straighten out his uniform just in case, eyes drifting back to the silver haired boy as he pursed his lips. "I'll be back soon, okay? So don't disappear on me!" He warned playfully, wagging a finger at his friend. "Stay in bed. You shouldn't do anything with that concussion." With a wave, he smiled once more before making his way back to the other trainees. "See you later, Riku!"

The other just continued to give him a soft smile, offering him a wave of goodbye, "Don't get yourself killed." He leaned back on his hands once the other boy was gone, smile fading from his lips almost as quickly as it had appeared. His head leaned back to stare at the blank ceiling, letting his thoughts deconstruct and then reconstruct themselves over and over again until eventually, his head hit the pillow and thoughts dimmed to black.

 

-x-

 

"Yoo!! Sora!" Lea called, cupping his grinning mouth with one hand when he saw the other and waving with his other hand. He was standing with the group of trainees who were getting a tour of the building and how things ran. His shout echoed through the hall, earning him a rightful smack on the back of the head from one of the veteran soldiers, along with a rather loud scolding from the man himself. The firehead merely flashed an apology until the man went away, turning back to Sora. "How's Riku?" He asked more calmly once the other was closer.

"Is he going to be alright?" Tifen followed up, looking concerned as he walked over from where he was near Leon, who did not join their band of reunited misfits and remained up front, listening to everything the soldiers were telling them. 

Sora couldn't help the soft chuckle that left him at the sight of Lea getting knocked over the head, a grin hidden behind his hand as he approached them. Clearing his throat, the brunet shrugged his shoulders at their questions.

"Well, he's got a concussion, and the doctor had to stitch up that gash on his arm," he mumbled, scratching at his neck awkwardly. Sora still felt a tad guilty over that whole scenario, remembering it all in snapshots. One minute they were just sparring, the next there was blood and Riku was injured. "But you know how Riku is. If he's in pain, he's not going to let one of us see it," he smiled some. "So uh, how's the tour?" He nodded towards the veteran soldiers, still prattling on about the place. "Looks kinda dull," Sora whispered.

"Boring, as usual," Lea huffed, still rubbing his head. He shot a fiery look at the officer who whacked him, though the man's back was turned as he returned to the front. "Good to know sour puss is alright, though." He jabbed a thumb in the direction of Leon's back, "Poor lion-mane up there was worried he'd been the cause of it since he's the one who drove Riku out last night." Sora glanced at the annoyed soldier with a curious little grin, watching him eye the other trainees with a keen eye. Jeez, these people sure were tense. And he had thought Levi was the one with a permanent stick up the ass.

"Oh, I wouldn't know about that," he admitted with a tiny laugh. "If Riku truly felt that way, he wouldn't say. He's not really the type to talk about his emotions, you know? Especially not if its concerning friends."

"Well, are _you_  alright, Sora?" Tifen questioned, looking at the other curiously. "You look a little tense and freaked out."

Lea gave a chuckle, "Yeah blue sky, maybe you should have been the one on bed-rest. We all know you've been worrying over Riku more than the rest of us."

Tifen's question threw him off. "M-Me? I'm fine," he laughed, scratching his cheek shyly. "I mean, I'm just kinda worried he's going to try and sneak off again," the brunet admitted. "But hopefully he's too tired to move." Wait, Blue Sky? "Hmm, is that a nickname?" Sora mused, raising a brow at the red-haired teen. "I don't think I've ever been called that before."

"Yeah man, named after your gorgeous eyes! Got it memorized?" The ginger grinned, one side of his mouth pulling higher than the other. "But nonetheless, let's get back to our incredibly exciting tour of the Military Brigade, shall we? I can see Sub-Commander Limited-vocabulary over there giving us the stink eye." He shoved a thumb at the hulking figure on the left side of the group, short silver hair combed back neatly and small fierce eyes shadowed by his angular face.

A good-hearted laugh left the boy as Lea continued his flirtatious banter, hands on his hips as he returned his lop-sided grin. He couldn't tell if Lea was joking or serious, and somehow, he didn't care. Sure Sora had been startled by the initial come on, before realizing it was way too hard to take Lea serious sometimes. He was just too friendly for his own good. Turning his 'blue sky' eyes to their new Sub-Commander, and nearly made a face. What was it with this branch and silver hair? It was odd. Were these men all related? It made sense to the boy, considering their striking resemblance. But Riku had silver hair too. It wasn't a common trait, after all. His thoughts were quickly scattered by Tifen's low whine.

"All these Sub-Commanders scare me..." Tifen whispered, taking a subconscious step closer to Sora. "How many days till we change sections?"

Lea gave a quiet sigh as their guide continued jabbering on about the architecture and tapestries, his brows lifting a bit to be almost a little sad but resigned, "Five more days, Tifen. Five more days."


End file.
